The Cursed Prince

Chp. 11 - The Battle Within

(Author's POV)

The silence after the explosion was deafening. The once-glowing Heartstone now lay in jagged pieces across the stone floor, its shattered remnants flickering with fading light. But the room was far from calm. The curse, though fractured, clung to the air, lingering with a menacing force that wasn't yet defeated.

Kael knelt beside Elara, his heart pounding wildly as he pressed his hands to her side. Blood stained her clothes, pooling beneath her on the cold, unforgiving floor. Her face was pale, her breaths shallow, and the sight of her like this sent a wave of panic crashing through him. He had seen countless injuries, countless battles in his time, but this was different.

This was Elara.

"Stay with me," Kael whispered urgently, his voice rough. "Please."

Elara's eyes fluttered open, but her gaze was unfocused, her breaths labored. The magic from the Heartstone's explosion had done more than just injure her—it had infected her. He could feel the residual energy swirling around them, as if the curse itself was latching onto her, refusing to let go.

Kael cursed under his breath, his mind racing. The curse was fighting back, resisting its unraveling with every last shred of power it had left. Destroying the Heartstone had been the right move, but it wasn't enough. The curse wasn't gone. It was embedded in the very bones of this castle, in the land itself—and now, somehow, in Elara.

(Kael's POV)

I couldn't think. My mind was clouded with the sound of Elara's shallow breaths and the warmth of her blood on my hands.

The Heartstone was shattered—this should have been the end. We should have won. But this magic wasn't playing by any rules I knew. It was ancient, untamed, and vicious, far beyond the comprehension of any book or spell I had ever studied.

"Elara," I whispered again, panic seeping into my voice despite my best efforts to remain calm. I couldn't lose her. Not now. Not after everything.

She groaned softly, her eyes fluttering open for a brief moment. "Kael..." Her voice was barely a whisper, but it still cut through me like a knife. "The curse... it's... inside."

I knew what she meant. I could feel it too—writhing, pulsing in the air around us. It wasn't satisfied with just tormenting me anymore. It had found a new victim.

I should have never let her come this far.

Without a second thought, I pulled her into my arms, cradling her against my chest as I stood. The blood loss was too severe, and her skin was growing colder by the minute. I needed to get her somewhere safe, somewhere where I could think, where I could figure out how to save her.

"We're going to fix this," I muttered, though the words felt hollow. I didn't know how to fix it. I didn't know if it was even possible.

But I had to try.

(Elara's POV)

I could barely feel anything. My body felt like it was floating, weightless and cold, as if the world around me had dissolved into a blur of sensations and shadows. But I could feel him—Kael. His arms around me, his warmth holding me close, even as everything else slipped away.

I wanted to tell him I was okay, that he didn't need to worry, but the words wouldn't come. The curse—the magic—was pressing down on me like a suffocating weight, creeping through my veins, binding itself to me like chains I couldn't break.

Kael's voice was distant, but I clung to it, the sound grounding me in the storm of magic that raged within.

I had never seen him like this—so afraid, so desperate. His icy exterior had melted in these moments, and all I could think about was how much he had changed since I first arrived. The prince who had once been cold and distant, detached from the world, was now holding me like I was the most precious thing in his life.

And even as the curse tried to pull me under, I realized something.

I loved him.

(Author's POV)

Kael carried Elara through the darkened corridors of the castle, his heart racing with fear and determination. He had to find a way to save her. There had to be something in the ancient texts—some clue, some forgotten magic—that could undo what the curse had done.

He reached his private chambers, laying her gently on the bed. She looked so fragile, so pale, and it made his chest tighten painfully. For a long moment, he just stood there, staring down at her, feeling utterly helpless.

But there was no time for hesitation. He turned away and went straight for the books—the same volumes that had guided him to the Heartstone. They had to hold more. Something about the curse's origin, its true nature, its weaknesses. He combed through the pages with renewed urgency, his hands trembling as he searched.

The curse wasn't just about the land. It was connected to him, to his past, his mistakes. And now, somehow, it was connected to Elara as well.

Suddenly, a passage caught his eye—something he had overlooked before in his desperation. The curse, it seemed, had a second layer. A final protection that bound it to the blood of those who tried to break it.

"The curse doesn't die with the Heartstone," Kael whispered to himself, reading the ancient script. "It clings to life. It seeks new blood."

He slammed the book shut, the realization crashing down on him like a wave. Elara wasn't just injured. The curse had latched onto her, using her to protect itself from destruction.

"I've made this worse," he muttered, his voice thick with guilt. He hadn't saved her by breaking the Heartstone. He had condemned her to carry the burden of the curse.

But he wouldn't let it win. Not this time.

Kael crossed the room and knelt beside Elara's still form, gently taking her hand. His expression softened, a flicker of something more tender crossing his features. He couldn't bear to lose her, not after everything they had been through.

"I won't let you die because of me," he whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I swear it."

The battle wasn't over. The curse still had its hold—but Kael was determined to find a way to break it, even if it meant risking everything.

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Author's Note

Will Elara die? Will Kael return back to his cold self?

Or will she make it through with him?

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