The Forgotten Crown

Prologue: The Forgotten Crown

11:58 PM. Rain-slicked streets. Mara Blackwood's hands trembled as she gripped the iron key, its ancient metal burning cold against her palm.

Just breathe. You're not doing anything wrong.

Yeah, right. Breaking into the university library at midnight definitely qualified as "wrong" in most people's books. But Mara wasn't most people. She was a Blackwood, and that key hanging around her neck wasn't just any family heirloom - it was a burden passed down through generations of whispered warnings and cryptic bedtime stories.

The old clocktower loomed ahead, its face gleaming like a watchful eye in the dim lamplight. Mara pulled her black wool cloak tighter, raindrops sliding down its hood like tears. Her heart thundered so loud she was sure someone would hear it echoing off the cobblestones.

tick... tock... tick... tock...

Every shadow made her jump. Every distant sound had her spinning around, searching for followers. But there was nothing - just darkness and the endless drum of rain.

The library's wrought-iron gates materialized through the mist, medieval and imposing. Generations of scholars had passed through them. None had come at midnight, though. None had come searching for...

Don't even think it. The Forgotten Crown is just a legend.

The clocktower's chimes shattered the silence. Midnight.

Mara's trembling fingers found the key. Now or never. The lock clicked open with a sound that seemed to echo across the entire campus. She slipped inside, boots squelching on wet grass, staying close to the shadows.

Almost there. Almost-

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't come."

The deep voice froze her in place. Mara's hand flew to the concealed dagger at her hip, heart nearly stopping when she recognized the speaker.

"Professor Thorne?" Her voice cracked. "What are you doing here?"

The man stepped into a pool of lamplight, his salt-and-pepper beard glistening with rain. His eyes - usually twinkling with scholarly warmth during lectures - now held the cold gleam of steel.

"The same thing as you, I suspect." His gaze locked onto the key at her throat. "Searching for the truth about the Forgotten Crown."

Mara's blood turned to ice. How does he know??

"The Crown is just a legend," she said, cursing the tremor in her voice.

Thorne's smile held no humor. "Is it?" He pulled an ancient leather-bound book from beneath his coat. "This tome speaks of a power that could reshape our world. Your grandmother knew that, didn't she? All those bedtime stories weren't just stories, were they, Miss Blackwood?"

Before Mara could respond, a shout pierced the night. Running footsteps splashed through puddles, getting closer.

"We're not alone," Thorne growled. "Quickly now!"

Hesitation paralyzed her. Run or stay? Trust her professor or her instincts?

More shouts. Closer.

Decision time.

With shaking hands, Mara unlocked the library doors. "This way," she whispered.

The heavy oak doors sealed shut behind them with the finality of a tomb. No going back now.

In the darkness, surrounded by ancient tomes and forgotten secrets, Mara Blackwood took her first step into a world of magic, danger, and destiny.

The search for the Forgotten Crown had begun.

And nothing would ever be the same.