The Prince Born With The Dark Stone In His Chest

Thunder roared across the kingdom of Valoria as black clouds swallowed the moon. Rain crashed against the towering windows of the royal palace, while servants hurried through the corridors with fear painted across their faces. "The queen is in labor!" "The royal heir is coming!" Inside the grand birthing chamber, Queen Elara cried out in pain, gripping the silk sheets as the royal physician and midwives surrounded her. King Aldren stood near the window, his hands clenched tightly behind his back. "Please..." he whispered under his breath. "Let my child arrive safely." For years, the kingdom had prayed for an heir. Every temple rang its bells. Every citizen celebrated when news spread that the queen was finally carrying a child. Tonight was supposed to be the happiest night in Valoria's history. Instead... A deafening crack of thunder shook the palace. The candles flickered. Then... They all went out. Darkness swallowed the room. The temperature dropped so suddenly that every person inside gasped. One of the midwives trembled. "Your Majesty..." Her voice barely escaped her lips. "The shadows..." The darkness beneath the walls was moving. Not from the wind. Not from the storm. The shadows themselves were crawling toward the queen's bed. Then the baby cried. The instant his cry echoed through the chamber, every candle burst back to life. The room fell silent. No one moved. No one breathed. The physician slowly lifted the newborn prince... Then his face drained of all color. "H-Heavens..." The baby looked perfectly healthy. Golden skin. Soft black hair. Tiny fingers. But resting in the center of his chest, beneath transparent newborn skin, was a small black crystal. It pulsed... Once. Twice. Then a crimson glow spread through the baby's veins before fading as if nothing had happened. A midwife screamed. Another collapsed onto the floor. "The Dark Stone..." "It can't be..." King Aldren stepped forward, refusing to believe his own eyes. "No..." He gently touched the infant's chest. The crystal was real. Cold. As hard as diamond. And it seemed to beat... Like another heart. At that very moment, every church bell in the kingdom rang by itself. Not because anyone pulled the ropes. But because something unseen had awakened. Far beyond the palace, inside an abandoned mountain shrine sealed for over a thousand years... An ancient statue cracked. Its glowing eyes slowly opened. A low voice echoed through the darkness. "...The vessel... has finally been born." By sunrise, the celebration had become mourning. The joyful music stopped. The fireworks were canceled. Instead of singing about the prince's birth, the people whispered in fear. "The cursed child." "The Black Prince." "The child carrying the Devil's Heart." No one knew where the stone had come from. No one knew why heaven had allowed such a child to be born into the royal family. But everyone remembered an old prophecy that had been hidden away for centuries: "When the child bearing the Dark Stone is born beneath a moon consumed by shadows, the kingdom shall either witness its greatest savior... or its final king." Within days, rumors spread to every corner of Valoria. Mothers pulled their children indoors whenever the prince's name was mentioned. Merchants refused to sell toys bearing the royal crest. Priests prayed day and night to keep evil away. Some demanded the child be executed before it was too late. Others believed he deserved a chance to live. Only the king remained unmoved. "He is my son," King Aldren declared before the royal council. "I don't care what prophecy you believe." "I don't care what legends you fear." "As long as I breathe..." "No one will lay a hand on the prince." His words silenced the court. But hidden among the nobles... One old man smiled. His eyes briefly turned crimson. "So..." "The chosen vessel truly exists." Outside, rain continued to fall over the kingdom. And deep inside the palace nursery... The infant prince slept peacefully. Completely unaware... ...that before he had even opened his eyes to the world, the world had already decided to fear him. End of Episode 1