For as long as I could remember, everyone had been cursed. A curse that had spread like a viral infection across our land and race. Light was endangered, if not completely extinct from our world. Stories slithered around from each person across the Kingdom, no one knew of its origin. Whispers of a war between light and dark. A prophecy had seemed to inspire hope for the people trapped here, but just like the light, hope was becoming extinct itself.
Many years ago before I was born, our Kingdom was the most beautiful among the rest. It featured beautiful gardens stretching out from the Kingdom’s walls. Farms sat atop the greenest and luscious soil featuring the best and tasteful fruits in all the Kingdoms. Even the ocean was so peaceful below the cliffs. The water was so calm that if one tossed a stone from above, the ripples would spread for a mile. However, all great things come to an end. After the curse, everything changed. The King’s death came at an ultimate price.
The King fell in love with two different women, and when he chose one to become the Queen, the other grew in such a jealousy, committing the unthinkable. The Queen fell to a dark temptation of deception towards the King and when she had taken his life, she took her own soon after. The other woman rose to power with her dark magic and when she sat on the throne, something most unfortunate indeed happened. A darkness rose out from below her and spread through the castle, crumbling most of the walls into ruin. She exhaled in an angry manor realizing that everything had fallen apart. Darkness turned the rich soil into dust, the ocean rose in anger slamming away at the cliffs, and the gardens became petrified. Everyone stared at the ground when walking and the Kingdom lost its color. Every day I can hear screaming coming from the castle, most likely the new Queen taking out her anger on someone ruling over a wasteland instead of the rich Kingdom it was.
I usually just sit with my back against the tree and watch the despair between the people grow each day. I sat and watched the crystal clear streams turn to poisonous toxins running through the valley between the gardens. I sat there staring at the people while wondering who my parents were, it was always on my mind. I never got to know anyone who knew them. All I knew were these stories in which I have now shared with you. The people say that only the true ruler of our Kingdom can restore the light. I wish it were possible, it would be great to see color in these times of darkness, but with the true King and Queen gone, this land will slowly become a bare deserted wasteland that all the other Kingdoms mock.
Each day went by and I could see less and less people walking about. The tree I leaned up against everyday was the only thing that still had color it seemed. It wasn’t until I watched a young boy lie down next to what had recently become a petrified tree that made me full of complete sadness and despair. Slowly the boy himself became petrified into stone.
After a few minutes, I sat up and walked over to the boy, placing my hand on the stone rock shoulder that once was real. A tear fell from my eye onto the stone. Without realizing it, the boy had turned back to flesh and blood and the tree next to him became full of vibrant green color. Confused the boy looked up at me. Around the boy and I the ground had become colorful and rich again. The people stopped in their tracks and lifted up their eyes onto me. More people circled around whispering among each other.
"Could it be?” I heard an elderly man exclaim in joy.
"Impossible!” Someone remarked from the back of the crowd.
I looked around towards everyone, confused on what it meant. It wasn’t until I heard the woman in front of me, that my heart began to sink into my stomach. All I could remember in this moment was her saying to me, “It’s you! You are the Lost Prince!”