The Lost Heir

A woman with dark hair and brown eyes sprinted through the forest, her pace fueled by desperation. In the darkness of night, she cried out a name, clearly in pain. Fear gripped her as she searched for someone, coming to a halt to survey her surroundings. With limited visibility, she removed her gloves and concentrated, summoning a ball of light that illuminated the forest. It was an act of magic, for she was a witch. "Guide me to my son," she beseeched the radiant sphere, which began to move, leading her deeper into the woods. But the ball's journey yielded no results, intensifying the woman's fear.

"No, no, it can't be true. He must be lying," she repeated the phrase, desperately hoping to convince herself that her fears were unfounded. However, the worst imaginable scenario unfolded before her eyes. Her voice quivering, she approached a lifeless body-the very person she had been searching for: her son, dead. Tears streamed down her face, accompanied by a deep darkness in her eyes. Consumed by grief and pain, she fought to contain the darkness within, but the overwhelming sorrow tipped the scales, allowing the darkness to engulf her eyes completely. She knew exactly what she had to do. One thing dominated her thoughts: revenge. "He will pay for this", she said while her eye color changed.

Simultaneously, in a humble home, a young girl named Melody, with black hair and dressed in ordinary attire, stared into the crackling fire in her home's hearth. Her mother, Jessica, called out to her, interrupting her thoughts. Sitting at the dinner table with her parents, Melody voiced her discontent. "Mom, it's fine. I'm happy with this cupcake, that's not the reason why I'm upset" she sighed, expressing her disappointment over the absence of her friends James and Daphne on her birthday.

Ronald (Melody's father) and Jessica exchanged a knowing glance, aware of information withheld from Melody. "What?" Melody questioned, sensing their secrecy.

As the doorbell rang, Jessica replied, "Nothing. I'll get the door," a subtle smirk on her face, hinting at an expected arrival.

To Melody's delight, James and Daphne, her lifelong best friends, stood at the door. Overjoyed, she exclaimed, "You guys made it!"

"Yes, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" they chimed together.

"Sorry we're late, but we have a good reason," James offered.

"Well, it better be a good one," Melody playfully remarked.

"The best one. We got you..." Daphne teased, producing a box from a large bag she carried. She continued, "Your very own Floverboard."

Melody's excitement soared at the sight of the coveted Floverboard, the latest trend in their kingdom-a flying hoverboard that everyone seemed to have, except her. "How did you guys manage to get it?" Melody asked, glancing at her parents.

"Don't worry about that. We've been saving up for the perfect gift, and James and Daphne even contributed some of their pocket money. We wanted to make your dream of owning a Floverboard come true," Jessica explained.

"No, you guys, I appreciate your efforts, but I can't accept this. There are more important things that need money than getting me a Floverboard. I don't deserve it," Melody protested.

"Don't ever say that again. You deserve everything, and nothing is more important than making you happy," Ronald reassured her.

"And don't worry, I've been working extra shifts for a while to make this possible. It didn't impact us financially," Ronald added.

Melody couldn't believe they had all done this for her; her eyes started welling up with joy. She took the Floverboard out of the box and pressed a button to start it. The circular-shaped board was adorned with a row of lights that began to glow, one by one, until they all illuminated and the Floverboard hovered in the air. Melody attempted to get on it but lost her balance.

"Careful," James said while helping her steady herself.

"I clearly need a lot of practice, but thank you so much, guys," Melody said gratefully.

"We also got you this cake," James added, retrieving a cake from his bag.

Melody pressed the button again, and the Floverboard powered off. She then placed her wrist on the top center of the Floverboard, and suddenly it started shrinking until it transformed into a bracelet on her wrist.

"I always wanted to do this. I love how Floverboards can be carried anywhere with you," Melody exclaimed.

James and Daphne went to the table and began preparing plates and spoons. While Melody was happy to have the cake and the Floverboard, she was even happier to see her best friends. It was a moment of perfection in her life, with her friends and parents all gathered together.

James placed some candles on the cake.

"Make a wish."

Melody closed her eyes, made her wish, and blew out the candles. A sense of positivity filled the air. Melody couldn't tell yet, but something had definitely changed. It was the beginning of something extraordinary.

"HAPPY SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY!" everyone cheered as she made her wish.

Melody was an ordinary girl, but her dreams were anything but ordinary. She always felt as if something was missing from her life, something supernatural. However, in the Kingdom she lived in, supernatural abilities like magic was not embraced. It was forbidden to use, and the king was vehemently against it. The punishment for practicing magic was death. Even though magic was extremely rare, those who possessed it spent their lives hiding their powers. Melody feared having magic, but at the same time, she yearned for something magical to happen. She couldn't explain it, but she always felt a bit... out of place.

A Week Later

Melody woke up to the bright sunlight streaming through her windows. Excitement bubbled within her as she got out of bed, eager to start the day. She grabbed a marker from her drawer and approached the calendar on the wall, crossing off another day: "First day of high school," it read, April 18th.

Melody got dressed in her casual outfit-a sky blue top, black jeans, and a white jacket. She headed downstairs for breakfast. Just as she was about to leave, the doorbell rang. Melody went to answer it.

It was Daphne.

"Come on, let's go," Daphne said, ready to pick up Melody and head to school.

"Not so fast," Melody's mom interjected, stopping Melody from leaving. "You're not going anywhere until you have your breakfast."

Melody rolled her eyes but reluctantly headed to the kitchen, knowing it was futile to argue with her mom. Daphne followed her.

"By the way, have you heard the latest news?" Daphne asked as they sat down. Daphne was the ultimate gossip, always in the know about what was happening everywhere. She had a fun and slightly clumsy personality, constantly trying to figure things out, just like any other teenager.

"What news?" Melody inquired.

"The King is dying. That's why there's been no news from the kingdom these past few days. Rumor has it that a powerful witch cast a curse on him, and now he's dying because of it," Daphne relayed.

"Oh, come on. Those are probably just rumors," Melody dismissed.

"Yeah, and besides, magic is practically extinct. I doubt there's a powerful witch out there. It's probably just people making up stories to explain the complete lockdown in the kingdom," Jessica chimed in.

Melody had an odd reaction to what she heard. Fear flickered in her eyes, as if she were hiding something or frightened of something, but no one noticed.

"Let's just go to school," Melody quickly changed the subject, eager to leave for school.

"Bye, Mom."

At School:

Melody and Daphne arrived at "Floale High," their school.

Melody stepped out of the car and spotted James, rushing over to him.

"First day of the new year. Excited?" James asked.

"Yeah, sure. Who isn't excited for more school?" Melody joked.

James giggled.

A few feet away, a mysterious man dressed in black with a hat and sunglasses hid behind a pillar. Speaking into a phone, he whispered, "They're here. Don't worry; I'll keep an eye on them." He observed Melody, James, and Daphne intently.

They entered the school, where the hall buzzed with students. Classes were about to begin.

"Well, I better head to the top floor. My first class is Biology," Daphne announced, making her way toward the stairs.

James and Melody shared the same first class. James started moving in the direction of the classroom, and suddenly, something strange occurred. Melody felt an unusual sensation, her hands momentarily glowed. She paused.

"Did you see that?" Melody asked James, perplexed by what had just happened. However, he had not noticed the glow.

"No, what was it?" James inquired.

"Never mind," Melody brushed it off, heading toward her class.

She had no idea what had just happened. She convinced herself it must have been her imagination, and she continued on to her class.

One Week Ago...

The castle stood grand and majestic, although it had lost some of its former beauty. King Fred, a cruel and ruthless ruler, had slowly brought the kingdom to ruin. The realm used to be a much better place, but everything had changed after his arrival. King Fred was the epitome of cruelty, showing no mercy to anyone. Selfish and heartless, he was despised by all, and yet, everyone feared him. No one even remembered how he had come to power. Something was amiss, but no one seemed to notice.

It was just another day in the kingdom.

The king sat on his throne in the ballroom when suddenly he heard a commotion. It sounded as if a guard was under attack. The king heard it, but it didn't faze him. However, the guards sprang into high alert. Then, by some magical force, the door to the ballroom swung open.

A Witch entered.

She was the same woman who had been seen searching for someone a few nights ago, but her eyes were now black. She wore a long, entirely black dress, emanating darkness. She was filled with anger, transformed into "The Dark Witch."

"You killed him!" the Witch exclaimed.

"So, you found the body. Took you longer than I thought. It's been days since I killed him," the king nonchalantly responded.

"Now you understand how powerful I am. I suggest you never make the same mistake again."

"Oh, trust me, I won't make the mistake of believing you can be redeemed. I was wrong," the Witch replied, her voice dripping with complete hatred.

"I hope this convinces you to stop caring for me and leave me alone," the king declared.

"Trust me, I feel no friendship or pity for you. You are nothing but a monster. You killed my son, MY SON!" the Witch's voice resonated with grief and fury.

"I did it to teach you a lesson. Stop trying to make me the person I used to be, because I'm not that person anymore," the king asserted.

"You can count on that, but I'm not done with you. Do you want to know why it took me time to reach this castle? I was busy, busy thinking of the perfect revenge," the Witch announced, her eyes blazing with vengeance. She raised her hand, and the guards, sensing danger, moved to intervene. However, with a flick of her hand, they all collapsed, unconscious.

"There's nothing you can do to me now," the king said, his voice trembling with a mix of arrogance and fear.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," the Witch retorted. Closing her eyes, she concentrated, drawing forth dark magic. It emanated from her, so potent that she hovered in the air for a moment, enveloping the room in near-complete darkness. Only the king remained illuminated.

"By my power, I place upon you the darkest curse of all."

Suddenly, the king's arm began to ache, and a mark appeared upon it. The king had no idea what had transpired, but he knew it was something dreadful.

Until now, he had been confident, but fear now gripped him, visible in his eyes.

"What have you done?" the king demanded.

"I have placed upon you the death curse!" the Witch declared, before creating a portal and disappearing from the castle.

"No, no, come back!" the king shouted angrily.