Page 409 of Evil Hearts

“Not all gifts are what they seem, Princess.” His tone was serious, yet a flicker of mischief danced in his eyes. “Be careful how you use its magic.”

“I will,” she promised, her heart racing. “But I can’t help but wonder what it might reveal.”

“Curiosity can lead to dangerous paths,” he warned, though there was a hint of admiration in his voice. “Sometimes, it’s best to leave mysteries unsolved.”

“Maybe, but isn’t life itself a mystery?” she countered, emboldened by his presence. “I want to know what lies beneath the surface, not just in the apples but in the world around me.”

Brian stepped closer, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her. “You are not like the others, are you?”

“No,” she replied, feeling a spark of defiance. “I refuse to be confined by expectations. I want to experience everything.”

“Then I suggest you hold on to that spirit,” he said softly. “It will serve you well, especially tonight.”

As they stood there, the world around them faded into the background. Elara felt a connection with Brian that was both thrilling and terrifying, as if they were the only two souls in existence. But before she could dwell on the implications of that connection, the sound of a horn pierced the revelry, signaling the arrival of the night’s climax.

“Come,” Brian urged, gesturing toward the hall. “The festivities await, and I fear I might miss your dance with the golden apple.”

Elara smiled, the tension between them still crackling in the air. “Perhaps I shall reveal its magic after all.”

Brian chuckled, but there was an edge of concern in his voice. “Just remember, not all magic is meant to be trifled with.”

As night fell, a sudden sleep came like a white mist and claimed all the attendees of the great banquet and that meant the aristocrats and the royal house of the kingdom– more so, the very important people who bore the human realm on their shoulders. For an indefinite time, they snoozed under the enchantment of the apples they had consumed, cut off from their world by unusually powerful magic

Chapter 2

“Elara,” a voicewhispered in the shadows.

Through the tears in her eyes as she stopped to shake her beloved Rafe awake where he had collapsed on the table in sleepy stupor, she turned to see a figure emerge, cloaked in darkness. It was Brian, his expression serious and unreadable.

“What have you done?” she demanded, anger bubbling to the surface. “What sorcery is this? Why are they asleep?”

The whole place was quiet, one could hear a pin drop. Even the guards crashed on the marbled floor, snoozing despondently with their weapons. Here and there, people– men and women were strewn everywhere her eyes could reach, snoring healthily away.

“It is not my doing,” he replied, stepping closer. “It is the curse that binds you, Princess.”

“Me?” she echoed, shaking her head in disbelief. “I don’t understand. I bit the apple, but why… why is everyone else asleep?”

Brian hesitated, his emerald eyes searching her face. “The spell you unwittingly embraced was meant to protect the forest. The golden apple was not just a gift; it carried with it a powerful magic that—”

“Magic?” she interrupted, feeling her frustration grow. “You mean to tell me that this is a result of a magical trick? I didn’twant this! I just wanted to savor the moment, not destroy my family!”

He stepped closer, his presence intense, and the air between them crackled with unspoken tension. “The creatures of the forest sought retribution against the humans who stole their land. In their desperation, they cursed your kingdom with eternal slumber.”

Elara took a step back, her heart pounding. “But why am I awake? Why was I spared?”

“Because the golden apple was meant for you,” Brian explained, his voice low. “It was crafted specifically for the one who would bridge our worlds—the one who could awaken the forest’s magic. You are now part of this land, a being of the forest.”

“No!” Elara shouted, her voice rising in despair. “I refuse to believe that! I won’t accept this! I want to wake them! I need to wake them!”

She felt tears prick her eyes as she knelt beside her fiancé’s still form, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. “Rafe, please. Wake up,” she whispered, desperation lacing her voice. She looked back at Brian. “Is there a way? Tell me there’s a way to break this curse!”

Brian studied her, his expression unreadable. “You must search within yourself. The memories lie dormant, hidden in the recesses of your mind, awaiting the right moment to resurface. But it won’t be easy; the forest will test you.”

“Test me?” she scoffed, her anger mixing with fear. “What does that mean?”

Before he could respond, Elara caught sight of the golden apple, half-buried in the grass beside her. Its golden hue glinted in the dim light, calling to her like a siren’s song. She reached for it, feeling its warmth as she picked it up, her heart racing.

“Perhaps it holds the answers,” she murmured, staring into the apple’s surface, her reflection distorted in its shine. “Maybe it can tell me what I need to know.”

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