Chapter 19: Beneath the Roots
By Joy Daud
Prince Kimo stood at the edge of the ancient forest, his fists clenched, cold breath mixing with the mist. The whispers in the trees called to him again, drawing him deeper, as if the forest remembered his blood.
He hadn't told Oki where he was going. He couldn't. Not after last night.
She had vanished after teasing him, left him aching with questions and a heart he couldn't afford to feel.
And now he doubted everything.
---
Oki stood by the palace well, speaking softly with one of the elite male guards, her smile light but her aura guarded. Kimo saw them from a distance, his stomach knotting. The guard laughed too easily. Oki touched his arm briefly.
Kimo's jaw tightened, a storm rising behind his icy eyes.
"She lies to me," he muttered under his breath. "Flirts with others. And still expects my trust?"
Jealousy flared like wildfire. He turned sharply and walked away, leaving a trail of frost in his wake.
---
Meanwhile, in the queen's chambers, the evil queen stood before her mirror again, fingers gliding across the cold surface.
"You see, my dear prince," she said, watching Kimo's reflection. "Even your precious Oki can't be trusted."
She tapped the mirror once, whispering an incantation.
The image shifted—showing Kimo watching Oki with the guard, her laughter echoing too sweetly.
"Let the poison of misunderstanding brew slowly…" she whispered. "Jealousy is the sweetest trap."
Behind her, a small creature—a crow-like shadow with glowing eyes—perched on the window, cawing softly.
"Soon, Kimo. Soon you'll hate what you love. And then… you'll destroy yourself."
---
That evening, Kimo found himself in the forest again, drawn to a place he couldn't name, his hands trembling with power he still couldn't control. The wind opened a path through the trees, leading him to a massive, root-covered stone.
Symbols he didn't recognize glowed beneath the moss.
As he reached out, a sudden voice snapped from behind him.
"Don't touch that!"
It was Oki.
He turned to her, anger flashing. "Why? Because only you can have secrets?"
She narrowed her eyes. "You don't understand—"
"I understand enough. You lied to me. About your powers. About who you are."
"You followed me again?" she said coldly.
"I needed answers."
She stepped closer, her expression hard. "And if you found something you didn't like, what would you do? Freeze me like the rest of the world?"
"Is that what you think of me?" he said, voice low and wounded.
Silence hung between them.
"I think," she whispered, "you're still broken… because someone important left you."
He flinched. "Don't talk about my mother."
Oki hesitated. "Even if I knew where she might be?"
His breath caught.
But before he could answer, the ground shook. The roots uncoiled from the stone, revealing a sealed entrance glowing with ancient power.
Kimo took a step back, suddenly unsure.
Oki's voice trembled. "This place… it was made for you."
A chilling howl echoed from deep within. A warning.
Kimo turned to Oki. "Then why does it feel like revenge waits down there?"
She didn't answer.
---
Back at the palace, the queen smiled, watching the temple awaken.
"So the bloodline leads him to the truth…" she whispered. "Let it. He'll hate what he finds."
---
To be continued…