The Shadowbound Prophecy

Chapter One: A Power Unleashed

Harry Erebus knelt on the cold stone floor of the Demon Queen's throne room, his wrists shackled with heavy, enchanted chains. The iron cuffs bit into his skin, and his arms ached under their unnatural weight. The weight of his own fear pressed down harder than the chains ever could. He kept his gaze fixed on the floor, trying to breathe steadily despite the oppressive atmosphere.

The room was grand and dark, lit only by flickering red torches mounted on obsidian pillars. Shadows danced across the walls, and the air felt thick, almost suffocating. There was no mistaking where he was—deep within the bowels of the Seventh Demon Queen's palace, the heart of the underworld. And standing before him, mere paces away, was Queen Victoria Aosa herself, ruler of these infernal realms, a being feared and respected across the dimensions.

She hadn't spoken since he was dragged in here by her guards. Harry didn't know if her silence made it worse, but the longer it went on, the more his anxiety gnawed at him.

How had it come to this?

His thoughts whirled back to the events that had led him here—terrifying, uncontrollable surges of power. He could still feel the remnants of that raw energy coursing through his veins, though now, it felt more like a curse than a gift. He had no control over it, none at all. He didn't even understand where it had come from.

Harry clenched his fists, the sharp sting of metal digging into his skin grounding him to the moment. Breathe. But it wasn't just his power that terrified him now; it was the woman standing before him. Victoria Aosa's reputation preceded her. She wasn't just any ruler—she was a demon queen whose name was whispered in fear. Even the gods seemed to tread carefully when it came to her.

"I know what you are," her voice finally broke the silence. Her words were calm, but there was an edge to them—sharp and dangerous. "Or rather, I know what lies within you."

Harry's heart pounded in his chest, his breath caught in his throat. He dared a glance up at her. Victoria was tall and statuesque, her dark robes flowing around her like liquid shadows. Her platinum hair cascaded down her back, framing her sharp, perfect features. Her eyes, cold and piercing, glowed faintly in the dim light, boring into him with an intensity that made him feel small, insignificant.

"I—" Harry began, his voice weak and hoarse. "I don't know what's happening to me. I don't know what I am."

Victoria's lips curled into a faint, mirthless smile. "No. You wouldn't. The gods made sure of that."

Her words struck him like a blow. The gods? What did they have to do with him?

"The gods sealed away your true power long ago," she continued, pacing slowly around him. Her eyes never left him, studying him like a predator sizing up prey. "Your bloodline, Harry Erebus, carries the legacy of a being they feared—one they believed they had erased from history."

Harry shook his head, trying to make sense of her words. The chains rattled as his hands trembled. "What are you talking about?"

Victoria's voice grew cold, and she leaned in closer, her expression hardening. "You carry the blood of Erebus, the demon mage who once came close to toppling the gods themselves. A power too dangerous, too great for any mortal—or demon—to wield. The gods thought they could contain it by sealing away his descendants, binding their potential before they could become a threat."

Harry felt a wave of nausea. Erebus? The legendary mage whose very name was synonymous with destruction? The figure from stories he'd read as a child, stories of war between gods and demons?

"No... that's impossible," he muttered, shaking his head. "I'm just—just a nobody. A human."

Victoria's laugh was soft but chilling. "A human? Perhaps once. But you are far from ordinary. The blood of a demon mage runs through you, Harry. The gods tried to suppress it, bury it under layers of wards and seals. But power like that cannot be contained forever. And now, the seal is breaking."