The Moonbound Prince ✨

Episode 1: The Cursed Escape Nyx Hollow: The Prison of Shadows The Cursed Prince of Duskwatch Asylum For ten long years, Kael had been a prisoner of Duskwatch Asylum a place spoken of in fearful whispers, where nightmares festered, and hope went to die. It was said that those cast into its depths were never meant to see the light of day again. The prison was more than just stone and iron; it was a living graveyard, a place where time itself seemed to rot. The air was thick with dampness and the scent of decay, the walls pulsing with ancient magic that kept its prisoners shackled not just in body, but in spirit. But Kael was no ordinary prisoner. He was a prince. A forgotten prince. A cursed prince. His only crime had been his birth—his existence a prophecy that sent fear into the hearts of kings and priests alike. Before he had even taken his first breath, the royal seers had spoken of his destiny: “The moon shall mark him, the stars shall guide him, and in his wake, Eldoria shall burn.” The kingdom of Eldoria, built on centuries of war and conquest, had never been merciful to those it deemed a threat. And so, on the night of his birth, before he could even open his eyes to the world, the decision had been made. The young prince had to be erased. The king, his own father, had ordered him to be slain. But something had gone wrong that night. The High Priest had hesitated. Perhaps it was fate, or perhaps it was fear—fear of what killing an innocent infant might unleash. Instead of death, Kael had been locked away, hidden from the world, left to rot in the belly of Duskwatch Asylum. The first few years had been spent in chains laced with silver runes, their touch searing his flesh, filling his veins with unbearable pain. The enchanted shackles were designed for creatures like him—those cursed by the celestial bodies, those whose blood pulsed with forbidden power. Every time he moved, the metal burned him anew, a constant reminder that he was an abomination in the eyes of the kingdom. The guards treated him like a beast. They never spoke to him unless it was to taunt or threaten. They called him ‘demon spawn,’ ‘the cursed one,’ ‘the ruin-bringer.’ They threw scraps of rotting food into his cell, as if feeding a stray animal, and left him in darkness for days at a time. But Kael had learned to survive. He had adapted to the cold, the hunger, the endless solitude. He had learned to navigate the dark, where the only sounds were the distant howls of creatures that lurked beneath the prison floors. He had trained his ears to pick up the faintest of movements, had counted the hours based on the shifts of the guards outside his cell. And he had learned to endure. To endure the whispers in the dark, the rustling in the shadows—eyes that glowed from the cracks in the stone walls, watching him, waiting for him to slip. For Duskwatch Asylum was not just a prison. It was a place of nightmares, a tomb for the forsaken, where ancient horrors slithered beneath the floors and nightmares took shape in the form of creatures no sane man would dare to name. He had seen prisoners dragged from their cells, screaming. Had heard their voices echo through the corridors, their agony stretching for hours before they fell silent. He had watched from the iron bars as the darkness claimed them, as something unseen devoured them. And yet, through it all, the thing that had tormented him the most was not the hunger, not the pain, not even the ever-present threat of death. It was the absence of the moon. Kael had been born under its light, had felt its pull in his veins from the moment he had first opened his eyes. But here, in the bowels of Duskwatch Asylum, where the sky was forever hidden, he had been severed from it. Every day that passed, he felt it slipping from him—its energy fading, its whispers growing distant. At first, he had fought against it, clinging to what little power still coursed through his blood. He had meditated in the silence, trying to summon the strength that had once been his birthright. But with each passing year, his body had grown weaker. The connection had faded, dimming like a dying ember. He had begun to wonder if the prophecy had been a lie. If he had ever truly been more than just a cursed prince, abandoned by his own kin. Until tonight. Tonight, everything changed. Because high above the prison, beyond the reach of its cursed walls, the sky had been painted red. A celestial event unseen for centuries—a blood eclipse. And Kael felt it. The power. The hunger. The moon’s call, no longer a distant whisper, but a deafening roar in his bones. His body trembled as his veins burned silver, his senses sharpening beyond human limits. He clenched his fists, feeling the energy surge through him like wildfire. The chains that had held him down for a decade trembled against his strength. Then, with a single breath, they snapped. The sound of breaking metal echoed through the darkness, a thunderous crack that sent fear racing down the halls of Duskwatch Asylum. Outside his cell, the guards stirred, their torches flickering as a chilling wind swept through the corridors. And then came the first scream. Kael moved before they could react. His vision blurred as he lunged forward, his claws extending, his body nothing more than a shadow in the moon’s embrace. The guards barely had time to cry out before he struck. A single swipe sent their bodies crashing into the cold stone walls, their armor denting under the force. He was free. But freedom was just the beginning. Because the world had long since forgotten the Moonbound Prince. And now, under the blood eclipse, he would remind them. The Hunt Begins The halls of Duskwatch Asylum, were crawling with sentinels—knights clad in enchanted armor, trained specifically to subdue creatures like him. “He’s loose!” a voice bellowed. “The Moonbound Prince has escaped!” Kael didn’t hesitate. He moved like a shadow, his heightened senses guiding him through the labyrinth of corridors. The scent of fear, sweat, and steel filled the air. A knight lunged at him with a silver-tipped spear. Kael twisted his body, narrowly dodging before delivering a swift, bone-crushing kick to the man’s chest. The knight slammed into a pillar, gasping for air. More guards swarmed him. Five. No, six. One muttered an incantation, and suddenly, the walls of the prison lit up with runes, forming a barrier around him. Magic. Kael’s lips curled into a smirk. They really thought that would stop him? Closing his eyes, he reached deep inside—into the well of lunar magic that had been suppressed for years. And then, he unleashed it. A surge of silver energy erupted from his body, shattering the runes, sending the guards flying back. The air crackled with raw power as he sprinted toward the exit, his heart pounding like a war drum. Just as he reached the outer gates, something massive lunged at him from the darkness. A beast. A Shadow Hound. Its glowing red eyes locked onto Kael as it snarled, saliva dripping from its fangs. They really sent this to stop him? Kael met the beast head-on, dodging its massive claws, feeling the wind from its swipes graze his skin. He twisted mid-air, grabbing one of its horns and using the momentum to land on its back. With a sharp twist, he snapped its thick neck. The creature let out a gurgled cry before collapsing. Kael exhaled. No more delays. He sprinted into the night, feeling the moonlight—for the first time in ten years—kiss his skin. Eldoria: The Warrior Princess Miles away, in the heart of Eldoria, Princess Elara Valeria Nightbane stood at the palace balcony, gripping the hilt of her sword. She had trained her entire life for one purpose—to kill the Moonbound Prince. The prophecy was clear: “When the Moonbound Prince walks free, darkness shall consume the kingdom.” And now, he had escaped. Her heartbeat thrummed in her ears as she turned to her father, King Aldric, whose expression was grim. “The Hunt begins,” he declared, his voice heavy with duty and fear. Elara nodded. “I’ll bring him back.” Or kill him trying. A Fateful Encounter Kael had been running for hours, his breath ragged, his body aching. He knew Eldoria’s soldiers wouldn’t be far behind. And he was right. The moment he stepped into the whispering woods, he felt her presence before he even saw her. A warrior. A hunter. She moved like a wraith, her steps silent, her aura deadly. Then, she struck. Kael barely dodged the blade aimed for his throat, leaping backward just in time. He turned and saw her— A woman clad in black and silver armor, her piercing golden eyes burning with purpose. A warrior of the royal family. No. Not just any warrior. Princess Elara. “You should have stayed in your cage, monster,” she spat, her blade glowing with moonfire—a weapon specifically forged to destroy beings like him. Kael smirked, wiping the blood from his lip. “And miss the chance to meet the legendary warrior princess? That would have been a tragedy.” Elara lunged again, but this time, Kael was ready. Their blades clashed, sparks flying as magic and steel met in a dance of death. They fought like two forces of nature—Elara with her precise, lethal strikes, and Kael with his feral, unpredictable movements. Every time she tried to land a blow, he was just a breath away, dodging with an infuriating smirk. “You fight well,” he admitted. “For someone who thinks she can kill me.” Elara narrowed her eyes. “Oh, I don’t think. I know.” She twisted, feinting left before driving her dagger toward his ribs—but Kael caught her wrist mid-strike. For a split second, their eyes met. And something shifted in the air. A strange pull. A connection neither of them understood. Kael’s smirk faded. Elara’s grip tightened. And then, for the first time in centuries, the moon above them glowed silver, brighter than ever before. A celestial sign. A warning. Or perhaps… a promise.