EMPEROR LUCAS

I could feel the sharp sting in my legs — not just from the jagged path beneath me, but from the rough hands dragging me like I was nothing… like I was no one. Every step scraped against stone and dirt, and each tug sent pain shooting up my spine. Somewhere behind me, I could hear *Laila*, my personal maid, her voice trembling as she pleaded with the guards. “Please… she’s blind, please be gentle—” But no one listened. Even without sight, I knew I was being taken somewhere dark. Somewhere final. A place people only spoke of in hushed whispers — *the land of no return*. Tears slipped quietly down my cheeks. My father… *The Duke of Pearl City*… He had been accused of betrayal. But he was innocent. I *knew* he was. He had given up everything to protect me. Even his powers — the very essence that made him feared, respected. My curse, my blindness, had cost him everything. And now, he was gone. And I— I was being punished for being born. A sudden crack echoed through the air. *Whip!* Pain exploded across my back as leather kissed skin. “Move!” a voice barked — harsh, cruel, unfeeling. I flinched, my body trembling. I wanted to scream. Not from the pain — but from the humiliation. Was I not even worth pity? I could feel the heat of the sun on my skin, smell the dust in the wind. Somewhere distant, crows cawed like they were mocking me. The cart creaked behind us, and the chains on my wrists clinked with every forced step. I was a prisoner of fate, a pawn in someone’s wicked game… And even though I couldn’t see the path ahead— I knew it was lined with blood and sorrow. I was exhausted. My legs felt like logs, barely lifting with each forced step. The ground beneath my bare feet was sharp, unkind. Dust clung to my torn dress, and sweat soaked my skin under the cruel glare of the sun. I didn't even know where they were taking us. All I knew was that we had been walking for hours, maybe days. The destination? Unknown. The pain? Constant. My throat ached from dryness. “I want… I want to drink water,” I whispered. A cruel laugh sliced the air before a man’s voice thundered back, “Water? Does this look like your traitor father’s castle, you blind brat?” The words stabbed deep. I didn’t realize when I blurted, voice trembling with rage, “My father is better than you— you uncultured beast!” *Crack!* A hot slap landed across my face so hard the cloth covering my eyes flew off. Gasps erupted around me. *“Monster!”* *“Her eyes… they’re purple!”* The crowd’s reaction was instant — chaotic. Sharp objects — stones, maybe wood — began striking me from every direction. I flinched, shielding my face as pain exploded across my arms, back, and legs. “No! Stop!” *Laila*, my maid, ran to cover me, wrapping her arms protectively around my small frame. But the stones didn’t stop. They struck us both — again and again — until we collapsed to the ground. Bruised. Bleeding. Broken. Eventually… it stopped. The crowd left, satisfied with the damage done. Laila clung to me, sobbing, whispering broken apologies. I don’t remember when my eyes closed, only that the pain followed me into sleep. *** I woke with a jolt. The air was different now — heavier, colder. A strange chill crept into my bones, the kind that made the hair on your neck rise. “This... this isn’t the same place,” I murmured. We were inside thick stone walls now, the scent of incense and death floating in the air. Whispers told me where we were before anyone else did. *The Crescent Palace.* Home to the most feared man in the empire — the ancient Emperor Lucas. A place people feared more than death itself. I may have been blind… but I could feel the power here. And it didn’t welcome me. “Move!” a voice snapped again as a whip lashed across my back. My body, already sore and wounded, jerked forward. Laila sobbed quietly beside me. “I told you… you should’ve run,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “You don’t deserve this.” I smiled, bitterly. “Maybe I do.” Around us, the whispers returned. “That’s her… the traitor’s daughter.” “Her eyes are purple. Cursed.” “She’s the blind monster.” I lowered my head. This is why I always wore that cloth. Not because I hated the darkness — but because others feared what they saw in my eyes. We were all tied together — slaves, broken and exhausted. Our feet dragged. When I tripped on an iron stake, the fall pulled all of us down like dominos. The slave master roared, “Who caused this?!” No one dared speak. “I said—WHO?!” “I did,” Laila said quickly. “No—” I cut in, raising my bruised face. “It was me.” “You again? Monster!” he barked, storming toward me and slapping me again. My head spun. “You shouldn't have spoken, my lady,” Laila sobbed beside me. “But if I don’t speak for myself, who will?” I whispered. Suddenly—everything shifted. The ground beneath me vanished. Wind roared past my ears. And then—*darkness*. I landed hard. My ankle twisted beneath me and pain exploded up my leg. I cried out, barely able to breathe. The place I had fallen into… it felt like a hole carved from ancient magic. Cold, silent… *alive*. “W-where am I?” I whimpered through sobs. Whispers danced in the air. Power… old and terrifying. It wrapped around me like mist. Then I heard it— “Princess…” A voice I hadn’t heard in days. I turned, heart racing— And froze. There, on the ground, lifeless and pale… was *my father*. “Daddy?! FATHER!!” I screamed, crawling toward him, my voice hoarse with agony. I shook him, begged him to wake up. He didn’t move. The scent of blood clung to him like a shadow. “FATHER!!!” The door behind me burst open. Guards. Rough hands grabbed me. A sharp blow hit my head—then everything went *blurry*. The last thing I heard before darkness took me was my name… whispered like a prayer. *“Aria…”*