***?? CHAPTER SIX***

  Morning broke over Aurelion slowly, the pale light of dawn spilling across the rooftops like thin silver paint. The city stirred awake with the usual sounds—merchants rolling open stalls, horses cttering against cobbled streets, the distant ring of bcksmiths beginning their day.

  But beneath the ordinary rhythm, something else lived in the air.

  Fear.

  Whispers traveled through the city like smoke through narrow alleys.

  'The Blood Moon Child.'

  'The tower.'

  'The prophecy.'

  And the coming sixteenth year.

  Inside the royal pace, King Aric had not slept.

  The throne room stood quiet, tall windows letting in a dull gray light that painted the marble floor in cold shapes.

  Servants moved silently along the edges of the hall, careful not to disturb the king who sat motionless upon the throne.

  He looked older than he had a decade ago.

  The crown rested heavily on his brow, but it was not gold that weighed on him.

  It was memory. One that will be forever engraved in his head.

  Across the hall stood the council—lords and advisers who had served the crown for years.

  Their faces were tense, their voices sharp, and unrestricted as they spoke.

  “Your Majesty,” said Lord Harrow, the oldest among them, bowing deeply.

  “The people grow restless.”

  Aric did not respond immediately.

  His eyes were fixed on the far end of the room whereàl tall doors stood closed, the wood carved with ancient symbols of the kingdom’s protection.

  “The markets are whispering again,”

  Harrow continued. “They speak of the prophecy. Of the Blood Moon returning soon.”

  Another adviser stepped forward.

  “And of the princess.”

  The word hung in the air like a bde, cutting through all the air like silk.

  Princess.

  Aric’s fingers tightened on the armrest of the throne.

  “My daughter,” he said quietly.

  The words felt strange even to him.

  He had not spoken them often— or barely in fact.

  For years, Lydia had been more symbol than child to him—a living reminder of the prophecy that had stolen his queen and threatened his kingdom.

  Lord Harrow lowered his voice.

  “They believe the curse grows stronger with time. If the prophecy is true…”

  "Then she must die.”

  The words escaped Aric before he realized he had spoken them.

  Silence fell across the throne room.

  Even the servants froze.

  The king slowly stood.

  His robes dragged across the marble floor as he walked toward the window overlooking the eastern district of the city.

  From here, the tower was visible.

  Tall.

  Cold.

  Silent.

  But, the dangers — unimaginable.

  The pce where Lydia had spent nearly her entire life.

  “She turns sixteen soon,” Aric said quietly.

  The council remained silent.

  They knew the prophecy as well as he did.

  The child born beneath the Blood Moon would bring ruin unless her life ended before the curse fully awakened.

  For years the king had deyed the decision.

  But fear was spreading now.

  The people were beginning to question him.

  And kings who lost the trust of their people rarely kept their crowns.

  Aric closed his eyes briefly.

  “Elowen,” he whispered, speaking the name of his lost queen under his breath.

  She had died bringing Lydia into the world.

  A sacrifice made in blood and love.

  And yet the child she died for now threatened to tear the kingdom apart.

  The irony tasted bitter.

  He turned back to the council.

  “Prepare the decree.”

  The words echoed against the high walls.

  Sounding both grief like, and seething.

  “The princess will remain in the tower until her sixteenth birthday, in the next blood moon.”

  His voice hardened, masking his trembling hands due to the betrayal he had done.

  “And on that day… the prophecy will be judged, and the curse shall sleep.”

  The council bowed deeply, in gratitude.

  None of them dared ask what that judgment would look like.

  They already knew, and wanted that, which was about to happen.

  _______________________________________________________

  Outside the pace walls, the city continued its uneasy rhythm.

  Full of danger.

  Fear.

  And loathing onto the king and cursed.

  Aireb sat at a small wooden table outside a bakery near the eastern district, enjoying a simple breakfast of bread and honey.

  The baker’s daughter chatted happily while pouring him tea.

  “You’re not from here, are you?” she asked curiously.

  Aireb smiled gently, putting down his tea cup.

  “Is it that obvious?”

  She ughed.

  “Travelers always stare at the tower.”

  Aireb followed her gaze.

  The Eastern Tower stood in the distance, pale and unmoving against the morning sky.

  “I suppose it’s hard to ignore,” he said lightly, pausing his lips to the cup.

  He asked lightly, "What so special about it"

  The girl lowered her voice.

  “They say the princess lives there.”

  “Or, so I’ve heard.”

  “They say she’s cursed. And all this happened because of her.”

  Aireb shrugged casually.

  “Cities love their stories.” He added slightly no longer watching the tower.

  But the girl shook her head.

  “This one isn’t a story.”

  She leaned closer, just enough for him to hear what's next.

  “The guards change every four hours. No one is allowed near the tower except the royal soldiers.”

  Aireb raised an eyebrow.

  “That serious?” He asked with curiosity.

  “Oh yes,” she whispered. Seeing that he has interested she continued.

  “Even the streets around it are watched.”

  He took a long thoughtful sip of tea. Weighing the odds in his head.

  "Interesting". He thought.

  After finishing his breakfast and hearing the next of the story, and told some of his own.

  He smiled politely—paid for his meal.

  And kindly ask where the book store was.

  "Oh, that well it's not that far from here, just about a twenty minutes walk" She answered carrying an order to the next costumer.

  "Well thank you, Miss?"

  "It's Lara, and we usually don't get curious costumers this often so do please come again" Stepping close to him, and seeing his surprised face Lara blushed at her words.

  "I...mean.it.. I...will be" but before she could finish his expnation.

  "LARA BELL!!! GET IN HERE" A Stern voice sounded from the kitchen.

  "Coming Mother" Lara hurriedly carry the trays out and step into the kitchen, but retreated two steps back.

  "Come again soon Mr Adventurer, I really loved hearing your stories" She blushed and went back in the kitchen while getting and earful from her mother.

  Aireb smiled and went out the door.

  He walked in the direction Lara described, but never truly went in the bookstore.

  Instead he took another route and walked towards the Eastern Tower.

  Adventurers are double beings.

  Wanting something the moment, but saying the next.

  The closer he walked to the tower, the quieter the streets became.

  Shops were fewer here.

  Homes smaller.

  And soldiers more common.

  A pair of guards stood at the entrance to the main road leading toward the tower grounds. Their armor gleamed under the sunlight as they scanned the area.

  Aireb approached casually, hands tucked into his coat.

  “Morning,” he greeted cheerfully.

  The guards eyed him suspiciously.

  “This road is restricted.” One said coldly

  Aireb scratched the back of his head sheepishly, and grinned.

  “Ah, sorry about that. I’m new here.”

  One of the soldiers softened slightly.

  “Travelers usually stay near the markets.”

  “Yeah, I’m starting to realize that,” Aireb ughed.

  He gnced up at the tower again.

  “Still… it’s a beautiful structure.”

  The guards followed his gaze.

  One of them muttered quietly.

  “Beautiful isn’t the word I’d use.”

  Aireb tilted his head.

  “What would you call it?”

  The guard hesitated.

  Then simply said:

  “Unfortunate.”

  Aireb nodded slowly, as if understanding.

  “Well,” he said with a grin, “every city needs a mystery.”

  The soldiers exchanged looks but allowed him to wander away.

  Aireb continued exploring the outer streets, occasionally stopping to sketch buildings or admire the view.

  To anyone watching, he was just another curious traveler.

  But he noticed everything.

  The guard rotations.

  The patrol routes.

  The distance between watch posts.

  Even the small alleyways that curved around the tower district.

  By the third day in the afternoon, he found a narrow ridge path that overlooked the tower grounds from above.

  From here he could see the entire structure.

  The stone walls.

  The narrow balcony windows.

  The frost-covered upper levels.

  He leaned against a rock, studying it quietly.

  Inside that tower lived a girl the entire kingdom feared.

  A strange pce for adventure to begin.

  As the sun dipped lower in the sky, the air grew colder.

  And far above, in one of the tower windows, Lydia stood watching the horizon.

  Her dreams had returned the previous night.

  Stronger than before.

  The ruined city.

  The crimson sky.

  The whispering voices.

  And always that strange feeling that something was approaching.

  She pressed her hand against the cold iron window.

  Below, the city seemed so far away.

  So alive.

  A life she had never known.

  A gust of wind swept across the ridge outside the tower.

  Aireb looked up.

  And for a brief moment, though the distance was great, he noticed movement at the window.

  A small silhouette.

  Gone as quickly as it appeared.

  He smiled faintly.

  Adventure, it seemed, had finally found him.

  And somewhere inside the tower, Lydia felt the strange sense that the world outside her prison had begun to move.

  Slowly.

  Quietly.

  But undeniably closer.

  Two people — different thoughts, but all for one person.

  And different purposes

  The curse and the kingdom as well as adventure.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Borrdcat

  Okay so update time will be once every two days or three times a week and if I finish early then an extra chapter ??.

  So byeeeeeeeeeeeee ??