Read with BonusRead with Bonus

Chapter 5

Kaelen's Pov

The night I was cursed was the night my world truly crumbled.

I had been pacing the villa, the weight of my father’s words still heavy on my shoulders. The moon hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the stone floor.

A sharp knock at the door startled me. I frowned, not expecting visitors at this hour. Opening the door, I found an old woman cloaked in black, her face hidden beneath a hood.

“Kaelen of the vampire kingdom,” she said, her voice low and raspy. “You have betrayed your kind and must pay the price.”

I stepped back, suspicion and unease creeping in. “Who are you?”

She ignored my question, raising a bony finger to point at me. “For loving a dragon, you shall bear a curse. Your heart will be weighed down by an eternal ache, and the one you love will forget you ever existed.”

“What are you talking about?” I demanded, my voice sharp.

“You will know true despair,” she continued, her words dripping with malice. “You will wander this earth, longing for her, but she will not remember you. Your love will be erased, and your bond shattered.”

“No!” I stepped toward her, my desperation mounting. “You can’t do this! Lyra and I, our love is real! You have no right ”

Her hand shot out, and a cold, dark energy enveloped me. I gasped, the air leaving my lungs as pain seared through my chest.

“Let this be your punishment,” she said, her voice echoing as darkness consumed me.

---

Losing Lyra, I woke up on the villa floor, drenched in sweat and trembling. My chest ached, as if my heart had been ripped out.

I staggered to my feet, clutching the edge of the table for support. My thoughts were scattered, but one thing was clear I needed to find Lyra.

Ignoring the pain, I raced to the stables and saddled my horse. The wind whipped against my face as I rode through the night, desperation driving me forward.

When I reached the Dragon Kingdom, the sight before me brought me to my knees.

Lyra stood in the courtyard, her golden hair glowing under the moonlight. She was surrounded by her kin, their scales shimmering in the dim light.

Relief flooded me at the sight of her, but it was short-lived.

Her gaze met mine, and my heart stopped.

There was no recognition in her eyes.

“Lyra!” I called out, dismounting and rushing toward her. “It’s me! Kaelen!”

She frowned, taking a step back. “Who are you?”

Her words hit me like a physical blow. I stumbled, my knees giving out beneath me.

“Lyra, it’s me,” I said, my voice breaking. “Don’t you remember? Please, tell me you remember.”

She shook her head, confusion and fear flickering across her face. “I’m sorry, but… I don’t know you.”

“No,” I whispered, tears streaming down my face. “This can’t be happening.”

One of the dragons stepped forward, placing a protective hand on her shoulder. “Leave, vampire,” he said coldly. “You are not welcome here.”

I wanted to fight, to scream, to tear the world apart until she remembered me. But the look in her eyes so empty, so unfamiliar broke me.

I turned and walked away, my heart shattering with every step.

---

Back at the villa, I locked myself away, drowning in the suffocating silence. The memories of Lyra haunted me, each one a knife twisting in my chest.

I wandered the halls aimlessly, my footsteps echoing in the emptiness. The villa, once filled with warmth and life, now felt cold and desolate.

I avoided the garden, unable to face the memories of our laughter and stolen kisses among the roses. Instead, I spent my days in the library, surrounded by dusty books that offered no comfort.

Her voice haunted me, a phantom whisper in the wind. Her laughter echoed in my mind, a cruel reminder of what I had lost.

I didn’t bother feeding regularly. The hunger gnawed at me, but it was nothing compared to the hollow ache in my chest. I was a shadow of myself, a hollow shell of the man I had once been.

I walked through the empty halls, my footsteps echoing against the marble floors. Every corner of this place held a memory. The dining room where I used to sit with my grandparents, listening to their stories. The garden where I’d played as a boy, chasing fireflies under the stars.

Now, it was all lifeless.

I collapsed onto the balcony railing, staring out at the horizon. The wind was cold against my skin, but I barely felt it. My thoughts were consumed by her by Lyra.

Did she even know I existed anymore? Did she laugh with someone else the way she used to laugh with me? The thought made my chest ache.

I gripped the railing tighter, my knuckles turning white. “Why?” I whispered into the night. “Why would you do this to me?”

----------------------

The worst part came months later when I saw her again.

It was at her coronation. She stood there, radiant and beautiful, her presence commanding the attention of everyone in the room. My heart stopped as I watched her, unable to believe she was real.

But then her gaze swept past me, cold and indifferent.

She didn’t know me,Not my face. Not my voice. Not the love we had shared.

I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to rush to her, to take her in my arms and beg her to remember me. But I knew it wouldn’t matter. The curse had done its job. She was a stranger to me now, and I was nothing to her.

When our eyes met for a fleeting moment, I thought I saw something a flicker of recognition, maybe. But it was gone as quickly as it had come.

---

Back at the villa that night, I couldn’t stop replaying the moment in my head.my heart can't stop beating fast.

I paced the balcony, my mind racing. There had to be a way to fix this. To break the curse and bring her memories back.

I wasn’t ready to give up.

For the first time in years, a spark of hope ignited within me.

“I’ll find a way, Lyra,” I whispered to th

e night sky. “I’ll bring you back to me.”

Even if it took another eternity, I would fight for her. For us.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter