My name is Eryx.

I am the prince of the Argenten kingdom. I was born to a mother no one dared to acknowledge, so yes, I am an illegitimate.

My father didn't come look for me when I was born, my mother died during labor, she only got to kiss me once on the forehead.

I have older and younger siblings. Not that I'm close to them or anything. They all ignore or torment me.

I take after my mother, her pale blue hair and her purple eyes are now mine.

My father only accepted me as his illegitimate son, because my mother begged him to. She feared I'd have no one if she died one day, so she made him promise to take me under his roof, whatever it meant.

He only treats me like garbage, so it doesn't really matter.

My build is small, so I never could wield a sword and learn to fight, my older brothers always beat me up.

In the end, I got cast away entirely.

I was assigned to the old and rotting palace the farthest away from the Golden palace, the palace of the king and queen.

The servants assigned to me didn't treat me any better than my siblings. They ignored me completely or poured hot water on me, gave me cold water to wash with, tore my clothes apart, well, anything imaginable.

But today, they haven't come yet. That was weird, they liked to torment me from early in the morning, waking me up before sunrise.

I was sitting on my bed, looking into the mirror, trying to find any flaw on my face and body.

But I was beautiful. No one just dared to acknowledge it. They didn't want to get on my brothers' bad side.

I wasn't proud to be the beauty, but I had to say I was beautiful, because I wasn't that ugly.

I wanted to go get myself water, so I could wash up, when the screams echoed through the old, rusty palace.

"Huh?" I ran to the window and looked out.

The people outside were running away from the monstrous beings.

"What the hell is that?" The mythical beings called dragons, which I've only ever read about in books, flew across the sky, burning everything in their paths. Griffins descended to the ground and clawed at people, the big wolves jumped at and tore them apart. It was a terrifying sight, but strangely enough, I didn't feel pity for any of them.

They always laughed at me, treated me badly. Now, they got what they deserved, is what I thought.

"But why did those beings come here?"

The beings only ever lived in the dark forest of Lutine, the forest of mystical beings and magic.

No human ever dared to cross their borders.

I turned back from the window and ran towards the wardrobe, I put on my clothes that weren't torn and ran out of the room.

I didn't look back, I had to get out of here.

"Look at this old place, who would ever live here?"

I heard the voices from down the stairs. They got inside.

I had to take another path, fortunately, I grew up in this place, so I knew the shortcuts and hideouts.

I walked into the room next to mine, it was my mother's before she died, and searched under the bed. There it was, a secret pathway.

I opened the lid and slid in. It was small, but big enough for me to fit in. I closed the small door, just as someone came in.

"Search everywhere for any survivors!"

I quickly but carefully ran down the old stairs, I didn't know where this led as I've never used it before.

I stopped at the end of the corridor under the palace, I figured that's where I'd be.

At the end was a door, I slowly opened it and looked out. No one.

"Phew..." I sighed out of relief. I had my chance to get out, it was now or never.

I was somewhere in the back of the palace, I rarely ever left the palace as I had no reason to.

I didn't know where to go, but couldn't stay here. The dragons and everything was out there in the sky, killing hundreds of people.

I turned towards the forest, this is my time.

I moved, but before I could get the chance to even take a step, a strong hand pulled me back.

What the hell?

To be continued...

A strong hand pulled me back. I felt the collision with a man's chest.

"It seems like a little birdie tried to escape." The hot breath of the man behind me filled my ears. His voice was deep, but there was something soothing in it.

"Let go of me!" I pushed him back, trying to get out of his grip, but it was impossible.

"Easy, easy." His other hand wrapped around my waist and easily lifted me up.

"We can't have you run away, can we?"

"I don't care! Let go of me! This is my freedom!"

I yelled at him, trashed around with my legs and arms.

I still didn't know how this stranger looked like, but I wanted to be free. Just this once, just...

"Sorry, little birdie, but you're not getting away." He tossed me on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and walked me back to the front of the palace.

"Your Majesty!" One of the fairies called out to the man.

What? Your Majesty? Fuxk...

"I found a little bird on my way, how come he slipped away from you?" His voice was ice cold, now that I think of it, his whole body was ice cold.

He was like the cold, cruel and unyielding winter.

"We're sorry, Your Majesty. We didn't see anyone in the old palace."

"Don't make the same mistake again."

"Of course..." Someone honked the horn somewhere in the distance. It was the fairy call, I'd say.

"We didn't find what we wanted." The fairy "king", or whatever he was, started.

"But we will try again and again." His voice was commanding, serious, he sounded like a true leader.

"May I ask, Your Majesty?" One of the people out there asked.

"What is it?"

"Who's the human on your arm?"

Everyone turned silent.

"Who? I wonder. He picked my interest." The king answered with a playful voice. They were all shocked, even me.

"Your Majesty, we brought the king and the other members." Another spoke now.

The guards brought the royal family.

"Let go of me, you fairy bastards!" It was the king of Argenten.

"Shut your mouth, human." The king of fairies spoke.

"Huh?" I heard that voice. The voice that tormented me throughout my childhood.

"Is that Eryx?" The crown prince, that bastard!

The fairy king's shoulder stiffened.

"Oh, you know this birdie?" He said.

"Birdie? That's the illegitimate." The crown prince laughed.

How dare he?! Well... he's not wrong, though.

The pressure on my back loosened, the hand that held me let me go. I fell to the ground.

Ouch. Bastard.

"So, you're saying that this little birdie is the illegitimate prince of Argenten?"

"Yes. If you have to kill someone, kill him, he's useless."

I could feel the fairy king's gaze on me.

But I didn't turn to meet his eyes. I stayed lying on the ground, my face facing the ground.

"I don't think so." That surprised me, the fairy king didn't want to kill me?

"Oh, yes, maybe I should've introduced myself first, right?" He made a clicking sound with his mouth and gestured for the guards to bring him a chair.

He sat down and spoke again.

"I am the king of the Lutine forest. All the beings of Lutine look up to me. They tell me anything suspicious and rely on me." He started his speech.

"Interestingly, I've come to know, that you, filthy humans, started kidnapping and killing my people."

My eyes widened in surprise, what did he say? The humans started...what?

Did father know about this?

"So, tell me. Have you known, king of Argenten?"

His voice was cold.

"And don't lie to me, I know when someone lies."

"I...did know." My father, the king, spoke.

My hands trembled at those words. How could

someone be so cruel?

I hated these people, I hated the king, the queen, the royal children. I wanted them to die. To feel the same pain I did.

Memories flashed before my eyes.

You're just an illegitimate!

You could never surpass us!

You're useless. Your nothing, just like your mother, who died.

You'll be alone, forever.

Stop crying you bitch! You don't deserve any of this! You should just die!

Kill him! Kill him! Haha.

Look at him, he's so scared.

Just end your pathetic life. It's meaningless.

Ara otho, Luxarianas.

Dagarethe, Osoxos.

"Osoxos!" I yelled out, unaware of everything.

I finally looked up, the first thing I saw was the face of the man who carried me here.

He had long platinum hair, his eyes sparked blue.

He looked surprised, confused.

"What did you say?" He asked slowly.

"I said...Osoxos." I don't know where I got those words, I just did. My mind was telling me to say it.

The whispers were instant.

"Did he say Osoxos?"

"Like the ritual?"

"How does he know? Only the Isuria know."

Who is he?

To be continued...

"How do you know about the Osoxos?" The man before me spoke, his golden long hair shimmering in the sunlight.

"I just did." I explained. Not knowing myself, how I knew.

"Well, it seems that this young man, the illegitimate child, as you called him, wants you to undergo Osoxos." The fairy king turned to face my father. His lips curving into a smile.

"And let me tell you, not even out people can get through it alive." He laughed.

"You bastard! Eryx! How could you?!" The crown prince squealed.

"You're the only bastard here, Daragis!" I yelled back at him.

"Did you just...call my name in front of the fairies?"

"He's not a fairy, but a Fae..." I said quietly.

Gasps.

"How does he know?" The voices of the other beings filled the air.

Here, Fae were considered the most dangerous and mysterious beings of them all. They never showed their faces, never revealed their powers.

As a kid, we were taught three rules:

Never make a deal with a Fae.

Never tell a Fae your name.

Never fall in love with a Fae.

If you ever break these rules, consider yourself dead to the human race.

The same goes for the other beings.

"You called my name first, Daragis." I said calmly.

"Y-you-!" The Fae king kicked Dagaris, shutting him up.

"Little birdie, won't you tell us the other names?" The king spoke.

I didn't even hesitate.

"Laryxa, the first princess. Alagar, the second prince. Odara, the second princess. Dotorah, the third princess. Marathas, the king. Ovotia, the queen."

Everyone gasped at my betrayal.

"You betray quickly."

"There's nothing to betray." I scoffed. I didn't care, even if I died, they'd die with me.

"But you forgot one name." The king spoke.

I looked at the youngest prince, Teryx.

"He does not have a name." I lied.

The fourth rule, Never lie to a Fae.

"You're lying." His voice got cold. I could feel the pressure on my body, his magic pressing me down.

"I'm not." I said firmly, even though I was.

"How dare you lie to me, birdie?" he shrank down on my level.

I looked into his blue eyes. "I'm not lying, Your Majesty."

I narrowed my eyes to look more intimidating. I won't let the youngest be killed, because of his family's incompetence.

Teryx always brought me food and new clothes, amidst the fact he was so young.

"Aren't you afraid of me?"

"No." The words came out on it's own.

The king looked surprised.

"Haha." he laughed at my bravery.

"You're brave, little bird." He stood up again, his hand moving up.

"I, the king of all magical beings, command you to make the royal family of Argenten, undergo Osoxos, the holy ritual of Isuria."

His voice carried on through the whole place. Every single being looked at him, his command was absolute.

Then he spoke again.

"With the exception of the youngest prince whose name is unknown." He smirked at me.

Then it hit me, I wasn't an exception. My eyes widened, but not in fear, I just knew I wasn't prepared to die so early.

As if the king realised my fear he smiled and said again.

"And the illegitimate prince of Argenten."

I looked at him, unbelievable.

He spared me and my brother, but what would he do with us?

"Take the youngest prince away from the royal palace and the capital city, make him live in a normal, commoner family. He shall be grateful for that, as it is by my mercy."

Teryx sighed out of relief. He looked at me with gratefulness. I was so glad he survived.

"You can't do this to us!" The royal family members screamed at me and the king.

"Eryx, you monster!"

"No!"

"Don't touch me!"

"Let go of me!"

They took them away. I'll never see them again.

"Now then, what should we do with you, birdie?" The king crouched down to my level. I was still lying on the ground.

He grabbed my chin and made me look at him.

"Ah, I know. You know too much for a child of the human world. We cannot leave you here, what if you spread the things you know about us?" He smiled, but it wasn't kind.

Degeeota, Sunai.

Todoroh, Favereth.

"What's Sunai?" I asked.

"Huh? You know about this as well?"

"I don't know, I guess I do." I looked at him again.

"That's the people of Lutine." He answered.

"Then what about Luxarianas?" His whole body went still.

"What did you say?"

"Luxarianas." I repeated.

His eyes darkened.

To be continued...