Forsaken Crown

I used to call this palace home. Now I scrub its floors.

When Emperor Vulcaris conquered my kingdom, he took everything from me: my family, my magic, my future. I’ve spent years waiting for a chance to take it all back. Now I’ve found one, hidden inside the Labyrinth.
Unfortunately, I’m not the only one looking.

Severin and I were friends once. He used to sneak into the kitchens to play marbles with me, back when we were just two children whispering about how we’d change the world.
Then his father took my kingdom.

And now, it seems, Severin has become exactly what I feared: cold, ruthless, and every bit his father’s son.
At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.

Because the longer we’re trapped in the Labyrinth, the harder he is to understand. He knows things he shouldn’t. He watches me like he’s waiting for me to make a mistake. And every time I think I’ve figured out what he wants, he does something that makes me wonder if I ever knew him at all.

One thing I’m certain of: Severin is hiding something. Something deadly.

But then, so am I…