ch.1 the night everything changed
Chapter 1: The Night Everything Changed
The Kingdom of Amaryllis was beautiful during the day.
Golden towers touched the clouds. Crystal rivers glowed under bridges made of silver stone. Flowers bloomed endlessly in every corner, painting the kingdom in shades of pink, blue, and gold.
But when the clock struck 10 PM, everything changed.
The streets emptied.
Windows shut.
Doors locked.
Candles were extinguished.
And no one dared step outside.
Because of Raven.
For years, Queen Mary had repeated the same warning:
“No soul shall wander after the tenth bell… for Raven still walks in darkness.”
No one knew the full truth.
Only whispers.
A cursed soul.A buried grave.A forbidden forest called Amber Weald.
And tonight…
Six ordinary teenagers were about to ignore the warning.
Hailey
Hailey stood on the balcony of her home, staring at the moon.
She had always felt… different.
Not bad different.
Just strange.
Sometimes, when she was angry, lights flickered.When she was scared, wind moved around her.When she cried, water trembled.
But tonight felt stronger.
Like something was calling her.
A sudden knock startled her.
“Hailey! Open up!” whispered a familiar voice.
She smiled.
Adam.
Adam
Adam burst inside carrying a lantern.
His hands were warm.
Too warm.
When he touched metal, it heated.When he got nervous, sparks flew.
He had hidden it for years.
“Tell me I’m not crazy,” Adam said.
Hailey frowned.
“What happened?”
Adam opened his palm.
A tiny flame danced there.
Hailey gasped.
Before she could speak—
POP!
Someone appeared in the middle of her room.
Alice
Alice screamed.
Hailey screamed.
Adam screamed louder.
“I DID IT AGAIN!” Alice yelled.
Alice had discovered something terrifying earlier that day:
Whenever she blinked while panicking—
she teleported.
Randomly.
Closets.Roofs.Market stalls.Once… inside a bakery oven.
“I think I’m cursed,” Alice said dramatically.
Before anyone could answer—
CRASH!
The entire front gate fell over.
Kai
Kai stood in the doorway.
Holding the giant iron gate.
With one hand.
“…Oops.”
Everyone stared.
“I touched it,” Kai said quietly, “and somehow… I lifted it.”
Adam blinked.
“That weighs more than a horse.”
Kai shrugged.
“I know.”
Before anyone could process anything—
A shadow flew across the moon.
Aurora
Aurora landed badly.
Straight into a bush.
“OW.”
She climbed out, leaves in her hair.
“I can explain.”
“You’re flying,” Hailey said.
Aurora nodded.
“Unfortunately.”
Edward
A sword sliced through the air.
Everyone ducked.
Edward lowered the practice blade.
“Sorry.”
He looked annoyed.
“I don’t know why, but I suddenly know how to fight.”
He spun the sword perfectly.
“I’ve never held one before.”
Silence.
Six teenagers.
Six impossible powers.
One terrifying question.
Why?
Suddenly—
MEEEOOOWWW.
A sleek silver cat jumped onto the table.
Cleo.
Hailey’s cat.
Except tonight…
she was glowing.
Beside her, a colorful parrot crashed through the open window.
“Danger! Danger! Terrible decisions incoming!”
Everyone stared.
“Did your parrot just talk?” Adam whispered.
Edward sighed.
“Patrick talks when he’s stressed.”
Patrick puffed his feathers.
“RAVEN BAD. FOREST BAD. YOU ALL DOOMED.”
“…Wonderful,” Alice muttered.
The Forbidden Decision
Queen Mary’s warning echoed in their minds.
No one goes out after 10 PM.
But now they had powers.
Questions.
Fear.
Curiosity.
Hailey looked toward the dark forest far beyond the kingdom walls.
Amber Weald.
Something pulled her toward it.
“We need answers.”
Adam nodded.
“This has something to do with Raven.”
Aurora hesitated.
“That forest is cursed.”
Kai grinned.
“Exactly.”
Edward tightened his sword grip.
“Let’s go.”
Alice groaned.
“This is a terrible idea.”
Patrick squawked.
“BEST TERRIBLE IDEA!”
Cleo hissed toward the window.
Like she sensed something coming.
So…
They snuck out.
Mistveil and Bram
Before reaching Amber Weald, they passed through Mistveil—the kingdom’s secret trading city.
Lanterns floated in thick silver fog.
Merchants whispered.Magic was sold.Maps were hidden.
And in the center stood Bram, the mysterious trader.
An old man with strange glowing eyes.
As the six approached, Bram looked at them…
…and immediately bowed.
“Your Highnesses.”
Everyone froze.
Hailey laughed nervously.
“You’re mistaken.”
Bram’s expression turned serious.
“No.”
He looked at each of them carefully.
“You are blood of Amaryllis.”
Silence.
“What?” Adam whispered.
“You are part of the royal family.”
“WHAT?!” everyone shouted.
“Not siblings,” Bram added quickly.
“Different bloodlines. Hidden heirs. Protected in secret.”
Hailey’s heart pounded.
Queen Mary…
knew.
Before they could ask more—
The sky turned black.
A terrible scream echoed through the trees.
Patrick panicked.
“TOO LATE! TOO LATE!”
Cleo’s fur stood up.
Mist rolled over the ground.
Cold.
Dark.
Alive.
Bram’s face turned pale.
“She knows you’re here.”
“Who?” Aurora whispered.
A voice answered from the shadows.
Soft.
Cruel.
Laughing.
“Me.”
A woman stepped from the darkness.
Black hair.
Silver eyes.
A twisted smile.
Raven.
Behind her, the ground trembled.
Water exploded upward.
And from it rose a massive eye—
A giant sea creature covered in scales.
Cyclops.
Raven smiled.
“Welcome…”
She pointed toward the cursed forest.
“…to Amber Weald.”
The mist swallowed them whole....
