The Story

She Wakes

The room exploded with light, the curse disintegrating in an instant. The vines shrivelled and died, the air clearing as the dark magic that had clung to the castle for centuries finally lifted.

Faye blinked, her vision clearing as the room came back into focus. The princess stirred, her eyelids fluttering as she slowly awoke from her cursed sleep.

But before Faye could even begin to process what had happened, the door burst open, and Kieran stumbled into the room, his clothes torn and bloodied, his chest heaving as he fought to catch his breath.

The Cursekeeper was gone, but the damage had been done. Kieran's normally impassive expression was twisted with pain, but even through the exhaustion, his eyes locked onto Faye.

"You did it," he said, his voice rough. "You broke the curse."

Faye nodded, still trembling from the ordeal. "But... how?"

Kieran's gaze darkened, his voice barely a whisper as he spoke the truth she had been dreading.

"Because you're not just part of the Dayriver Line. You are the key to every broken story in these worlds. The curses... the magic... they're tied to you."

Faye's heart sank. The truth hit her like a physical blow. She wasn't just a player in the Game of Stories. She was the reason the stories were broken in the first place.

The sound of stirring filled the room.

Sleeping Beauty opened her eyes. Up close, Sleeping Beauty looked... youthful. Like she was sixteen again. "Where am I?" she asked.

"Your chamber," Kieran replied. "This is Princess Briar."

"Briar," Faye repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "You... you were asleep for so long."

Briar blinked, her expression shifting from confusion to curiosity. "And you are?"

"Fayelleia Dayriver ," Faye introduced herself, trying to sound confident despite the turmoil inside her at using her new name. "But everyone calls me Faye."

Kieran, still standing with an exaggerated pose, interjected, "I just had a difficult time with the Cursekeeper. It seems you've awakened at quite the dramatic moment, Princess."

Briar's brow furrowed. "The Cursekeeper? I thought that was just a story. A myth to scare children."

Faye shook her head, her heart racing. "It was real. It spoke to me. It said I was doomed."

Briar stepped closer, her eyes narrowing with concern. "Doomed? What do you mean?"

Before Faye could respond, a low rumble echoed through the castle, shaking the very walls. Dust fell from the ceiling, and the air grew thick with tension. Kieran's playful demeanour vanished, replaced by a serious expression.

"We need to leave," he said urgently. "The Cursekeeper's magic doesn't just fade away. It lingers, and it can manifest in ways we can't predict."

Faye felt a chill run down her spine. "What do we do?"

Briar's gaze hardened, determination replacing her earlier confusion. "We find a way to break the curse. If the Cursekeeper has marked you, Faye, then it's not just your fate at stake. It could affect us all."