FELIXThe end was here.For centuries, Fresonia had been a kingdom of peace, managing to avoid both worldwide and civil conflict. Now, in the few short months of my reign, we had not only narrowly avoided an all-out war between all the magical kingdoms, but now were facing riots in the streets.It w
FELIXUpon arriving back at the castle, I knew what my first stop had to be. As much as I was dreading it, it was time for the difficult conversation.Sure enough, my parents and Esmeralda were gathered in their private living space, grave expressions on their faces as they talked in hushed tones, p
MILAI stared at that stone door, feeling something tighten in my chest at the sight of it. It felt so familiar, and not just from the memories Sofia had shown me.The air around me grew still, as if the whole world was holding its breath.I knew somehow, deep in my soul, that behind that door lay t
MILAI had no idea how long I had been in the library, but time seemed to pass differently here. The lanterns flickering on the stone walls gave no indication of what time of day it was outside, and no sunlight could penetrate these thick walls.Despite the pressure to fix all magic weighing on my s
FELIXI practically sprinted out of Esmeralda’s chambers all the way to the castle courtyard, where a majority of our guards were quartered.“I need your help!” I called out to the captain of the guard as I jogged over to him.The captain, an older man who had trained me in swordfighting when I was
FELIXWe traversed the countryside for days.In every village and small town, it was the same story. Villagers were extremely wary of the royal guards, some even outright refusing to speak to our little brigade. Christopher and the other guards tried hard to be as upbeat and cheerful as possible, bu
MILAAfter leaving the library, I was pulsating with magic. It surged through my veins, sparking at my fingertips. It was as if everything inside me was finally awake and alive, and now my body was almost too small to contain all my power.I pressed my hands into the ground, shocked by the blast of
ISABELLAI hated my new life in the United States.I understood why Mila had chosen to banish me here–it was a cruel, unforgiving place, a stark reminder of what she must have lived through before coming to Fresonia. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that I was developing empathy for what t