The Shadow Prince

“Lucia, don’t go near the Silent Forest! There’s a scary castle in there!” Nana shouted, making me roll my eyes in annoyance. For the thousandth time, my grandmother had warned me about the abandoned castle near the edge of the Silent Forest. She always mentioned ghosts, wild animals, and all kinds of strange things, which only made me more curious to check it out. “She’s making me want to go there, honestly,” I muttered under my breath as I started walking in the opposite direction—though I couldn’t help glancing toward the forest. My grandmother is British. She lives in a small town near Dingle—though to be honest, I’m not even sure where exactly that is on the map. ------------------------------------ Lucia… ------------------------------------ I gasped and spun around. No one here... Who said that? My name is Lucia Windham. I’m seven years old, and this is my first time visiting my grandmother with my mom. The truth is… I know why we’re here. It looks like my parents are about to split up. My father has a new woman in his office—his secretary. Typical. Most people think I’m too young to understand things like that, but my mom says I’m more mature than other girls my age. People call me a genius. But that title comes with a price. No friends. Just books. No matter. With books, I can go anywhere. Be anyone. I don’t need friends. ...Lie. I sighed and bent to pick up a dried branch before sitting down on the soft sand. You see, Dingle is near the sea, so from my grandmother’s house, you can see both rolling green hills and endless, crashing waves. If only the neighbors weren’t so far away… How does my grandmother live here—alone, in the middle of nowhere? Ever since my grandfather passed away, she’s refused to leave. Even when we asked her to move to America with us, she said no. I was lucky I brought a book with me. With a small sigh, I leaned back into the sand and started reading. But just a minute later, the sound of an agonized scream shattered the peace behind me. I shot to my feet, heart pounding, and whipped around. And then I saw him. A man, crawling out of the Silent Forest. Blood soaked his clothes. Oh my God. I dropped my book and ran toward him. He collapsed onto the grass just beyond the sand, groaning. “Oh my God, what happened to you?!” I knelt beside him, breathless from running, trying to process what I was seeing. “Hey—hey, are you okay?” I asked, panic creeping into my voice. He looked at me, his brow furrowed, and then started coughing violently—thick, dark blood spilling from his mouth. I gasped in horror. “Oh my God…” I whispered. “I need to get help!” I started to stand, but he reached out and grabbed my arm, stopping me. “No…” he rasped, wincing in pain. “What? Don’t speak!” I shook my head, terrified. His voice sounded like it hurt him. Quickly, I took off my jacket and pressed it against the bloody wound on his side. “Ew… ew… ew…” I muttered, wincing at the warmth of the blood. “You’re bleeding so much!” I pushed harder against the wound, trying to stop the flow. Then, through his coughing, I heard it—a chuckle. I looked at him with wide eyes. “It’s not funny!” I scowled. But before I could say more, a low, haunting howl echoed from the forest. I froze. What was that? A wolf? “What’s your name?” he asked suddenly, his voice softer now. He reached out and touched my cheek. I stiffened. Why… why did he look so calm? “Um… Lucia,” I stammered. “My name’s Lucia.” I pressed my jacket harder against his wound, blood still soaking through the fabric. “You’re still bleeding. I need to stop it,” I said, horrified by how much blood there was. “Thank you, Lucia,” he whispered. I blinked. “Huh?” I looked up, meeting his gaze. His eyes were so dark—deep black, endless, like shadows come to life. Eyes I had never seen before. And that was the last thing I remembered. Until then, little Lucia… I’ll see you when you’re ready. -------------------