Now the prince had been hearing about a cursed girl with pink eyes that feasted on raw flesh, but he didn’t believe the stories. After all, he had a kingdom to learn how to manage. The rumors seemed like tales spun by villagers to entertain themselves. But everything changed the stormy night he met her in an inn, drinking tea. The inn was dark, and no one else was to be seen. He sat in a corner, attempting to focus on a map of his kingdom, but his gaze kept drifting to her.

She was unlike anyone he'd ever seen. Her long, black hair fell like a cascade of midnight, framing her pale, almost translucent skin. Her eyes—those infamous pink eyes—glowed faintly in the dim light. She sipped her tea with an elegance that seemed out of place in the rugged surroundings. She wore a simple, tattered cloak, but it couldn’t conceal her otherworldly aura. Every movement she made was graceful, yet tinged with sorrow.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t realize she had left until he glanced up from his map to see her seat empty. Panicked, he dashed outside. The rain pounded against the cobblestones, drenching him instantly. He ran

out after her, heart pounding and cloak billowing in the wind. He called out, but the only response was the relentless sound of the rain.

Lightning flashed, illuminating the drenched streets. For a brief moment, he caught a glimpse of her silhouette vanishing into the shadows of a narrow alleyway. Driven by a mix of curiosity and dread, he pursued her. His boots splashed through puddles as he navigated the labyrinthine paths of the town. He rounded a corner, only to find himself in an empty square. The shadows played tricks on his eyes, and the rain turned to a whisper. He strained to hear, but all was silent. His frustration grew as he spun in circles, searching for any sign of her. Could the stories be true? Was she truly cursed, or was she a figment of his imagination brought to life by the stormy night?

Suddenly, a voice pierced the silence. "Who are you looking for, Your Highness?" He turned abruptly to see an old woman standing beneath an archway, just beyond the reach of the rain. She was hunched and cloaked, her eyes hidden in the shadow of her hood. He approached cautiously, the urgency in his heart battling the caution in his mind.

“Did you see a girl pass by here?” he asked, his voice tinged with desperation.

The old woman’s eyes, now visible, sparkled with a knowing glint. “The girl with pink eyes? You seek what many fear. Be careful, young prince; not everything is as it seems.”

Before he could question her further, the old woman stepped back into the shadows and disappeared, leaving him alone once more. Drenched and mystified, he stood in the rain, determined to uncover the truth behind the cursed girl with pink eyes. His relentless search had only just begun, leading him through dark forests, ancient ruins, and secrets hidden deep within his own kingdom. But for now, he stood in the rain, determined and restless, ready for whatever lay ahead.

When the prince returned to the palace, soaked to the bone, his mother was waiting. She clucked her tongue in disapproval as she led him to his chambers. "Honestly, what were you thinking, running around in the rain like that?"

"I saw something," he protested, as she handed him a towel and began

to fuss over him, drying his hair. "Mother, stop it! I'm not a child."

"You're acting like one," she retorted, wrapping him in a dry robe. "What did you see that was so important it couldn't wait till morning?"

"A girl. With pink eyes." He looked at her earnestly, hoping she would understand the gravity of his words.

His mother paused, her expression shifting from irritation to concern. "The cursed girl? Those are just stories, my dear. You shouldn't let them get to you."

"But I saw her," he insisted. "In the inn. And then she vanished."

His mother sighed and patted his cheek affectionately. "Sometimes, our minds play tricks on us, especially in the dark and the rain. Now, get some rest. You've got a long day ahead tomorrow."

Grumbling, the prince allowed himself to be tucked into bed, though he couldn’t shake the image of the girl from his mind.

The next day, as he wandered through the palace, he spotted a girl with long black hair, her back turned to him. His heart raced as he approached her, convinced it was the same girl from the night before. He reached out

and touched her shoulder. "Excuse me, miss..."

She turned around, revealing warm brown eyes that held no trace of the eerie pink glow. "Yes, Your Highness?"

His disappointment was palpable. "I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else."

The girl smiled kindly. "No worries, your highness. Have a good day."

As she walked away, the prince couldn’t help but feel a mix of frustration and determination. He knew what he had seen, and he wasn’t about to give up on finding the truth.

As the prince pondered his encounter, a summons came for him to attend an urgent meeting in the council chamber. He made his way there, still preoccupied with thoughts of the girl. Upon entering the room, he found the council gathered, their faces drawn with concern. The chairman, a stern and seasoned advisor, began speaking.

"Your Highness, we have pressing matters to discuss." The chairman's voice was grave. "The townsfolk are growing more frantic about finding and killing the cursed girl with the pink eyes. They believe she's a

monstrous beast preying on our people."

The prince's heart sank. "But are these fears founded on any real evidence? Or are they just superstitions?"

The chairman sighed. "There have been strange occurrences, disappearances... and the girl you mentioned last night, she fits the description. The people are scared, and fear can drive them to do terrible things."

The prince felt a knot tighten in his chest. "We need to ensure she is protected until we know more. Innocent or not, she deserves our understanding before judgment."

Murmurs filled the room, some agreeing with the prince's sentiments, others still wary. The chairman nodded thoughtfully. "Your Highness, you must tread carefully. Fear is a powerful force. We must find a way to address the town's concerns while seeking the truth."

Determined, the prince made a decision. "We will set up a task force to investigate these occurrences discreetly. I will lead it myself if necessary. We need to uncover the truth and bring peace to our people."

As the meeting adjourned, the prince knew his journey was far from over. The search for the girl and the truth about her would be fraught with danger and mystery. But he was resolute, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

That night, the prince drifted into a restless sleep, the events of the day weighing heavily on his mind. His dreams were vivid and unsettling. He found himself back in the quiet streets of the town, the girl's pink eyes haunting him from every shadow. She seemed to beckon him, her expression unreadable, her presence both captivating and terrifying.

In his dream, he reached out to her, but she always remained just out of reach. Suddenly, she turned and whispered his name, her voice like the rustling of leaves in the wind. He jolted awake, his heart pounding in his chest.

As he scrambled to sit up, he was shocked to see her standing at the foot of his bed, her pink eyes glowing softly in the moonlight. He fumbled for the lamp on his bedside table, his hands trembling. As the light flickered on, the room was empty. She had vanished as mysteriously as she had

appeared.

Confused and shaken, the prince got out of bed and walked to the window. It was wide open, the clear night sky full of stars. He closed the window, glancing down at the five-story drop below. How could she have disappeared so quickly?

He climbed back into bed, the memory of her presence lingering in the room. The feeling of unease gnawed at him as he tried to convince himself it had all been a dream. But deep down, he knew there was more to the girl with the pink eyes than mere nightmares. Determined to uncover the truth, he eventually drifted back into a fitful sleep, ready to face whatever the next day would bring.

The following morning, sunlight streamed through the palace windows, casting a soft glow over Prince Nate's chambers. As he stirred from his sleep, the events of the previous night weighed heavily on his mind. His gaze fell upon his bedside table, where a neatly folded note lay. He picked it up, eyes narrowing as he read:

"Prince Nate, would you stop being so foolish?? Harm will come to you if you keep

looking for things that don’t want to be found. There are things at play here that you do not understand."

Alarmed, Nate rushed to the guards stationed outside his room. "Who put this note in my room?" he demanded, holding up the piece of paper.

The guards exchanged nervous glances before one of them spoke. "A maid, Your Highness. She left it and disappeared before we could stop her."

Nate's mind raced. Was the maid in league with the girl with pink eyes, or was she warning him out of genuine concern? He needed answers and fast.

He decided to visit the head of the palace staff to identify the maid. As he made his way through the labyrinthine corridors of the palace, his thoughts were a whirl of suspicion and intrigue.

The head of staff, an elderly man with a sharp gaze, looked up as Nate entered his office. "Your Highness, how can I assist you?"

Nate handed him the note. "Who among the maids delivered this to my

room?"

The old man adjusted his spectacles and scrutinized the handwriting. "This is Maren's writing. She's one of our newer maids, transferred from a distant village. But she's always been diligent and discreet."

"Where can I find her?" Nate's voice was edged with urgency.

The head of staff hesitated. "I'm afraid I haven't seen her since early this morning. I can have the staff search for her immediately."

Nate nodded, his resolve hardening. "Do that. And ensure no one leaves the palace grounds until we've found her."

As the staff mobilized to search for Maren, Nate returned to his chambers, the weight of the mysterious warning pressing down on him. He needed to tread carefully, for the truth about the cursed girl with pink eyes was proving to be more dangerous and elusive than he had ever imagined.

Soon, a butler came rushing in with urgent news. "Your Majesty, we've found her."

Nate hurried to the dungeon, his heart pounding. As he descended the

dimly lit stone corridor, the heavy door creaked open, revealing the black-haired, brown-eyed girl in a cell. She looked up, eyes wide with worry.

"What are you doing here?" Nate asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"I was only delivering fresh eggs to the kitchen when the guards grabbed me," she protested, gesturing to the remnants of broken eggs on the floor.

Nate frowned. "Then why did you leave that note in my room?"

The girl hesitated. "To warn you, Your Highness. There are things in this palace you shouldn't meddle with. I wanted to protect you."

Nate’s frustration bubbled up. "Protect me from what?"

She shook her head. "I can’t say more. Just trust me, Your Highness. You need to be careful."

Determined to get to the bottom of this, Nate decided to leave her in the cell for now. As he walked away, he couldn’t help but feel the weight of uncertainty pressing down on him. The mystery was growing deeper, and he knew he had to tread carefully.

As Nate turned to leave, he heard the girl's desperate shout echo through

the dungeon, "The girl is not the problem—you must know!" Her voice cut off abruptly, replaced by an eerie silence. He spun around, heart racing, to find her lifeless form crumpled on the cell floor.

Panic surged through him. What had just happened? Who, or what, had silenced her? Questions hammered at his mind as he struggled to make sense of the sudden turn of events. One thing was clear: the mystery surrounding the girl with pink eyes was far more dangerous than he had ever imagined. He had to find out who, or what was truly behind these strange occurrences—before it was too late.

Panic surged through Nate’s veins as he stared at the lifeless form of the maid. The urgency to understand what was truly happening was overwhelming. He summoned the guards, who were equally shocked by the girl's sudden death.

"Get the palace physician here immediately," he ordered, his voice trembling with barely contained fear. The guards rushed off, leaving Nate alone with the unsettling silence of the dungeon.

Moments later, the physician arrived, his expression grave. He examined

the maid briefly before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. She's gone."

Nate clenched his fists, frustration, and despair gnawing at him. "How could this happen? She was fine just moments ago."

The physician looked troubled. "There are no signs of physical harm. It’s almost as if...something drained the life out of her."

Nate’s mind raced. The girl had warned him about dangers he couldn't understand. Was this one of them? He had to find out more before anyone else got hurt.

He left the dungeon, determined to find the cursed girl with pink eyes. But now, he had another layer of mystery to unravel: Who, or what was truly behind these dark occurrences? And how far was he willing to go to uncover the truth?

As he walked through the palace halls, he felt a chilling realization settle over him. This was only the beginning of a journey fraught with peril and shadows. But he couldn't turn back now. He had to press on, no matter the cost.

Nate's mind was a whirlwind of confusion and dread as he made his way to the palace garden. The usually vibrant flowers were now wilted and lifeless, their colors drained. In the center of the garden, he saw the maid's body, eerily repeating her last words: "The girl is not the problem—you must know..."

The scene was surreal, and Nate felt a chill run down his spine. He approached cautiously, the words echoing in his mind. Suddenly, he felt a splash of cold water on his face. He jolted awake, finding himself on the palace floor, surrounded by concerned maids and butlers.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" one of the maids asked, her voice filled with worry.

Nate blinked, disoriented. "What happened?"

"You fainted, Your Highness," the butler explained. "We found you here and tried to wake you."

Nate's mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of his dream and the reality before him. The maid's warning echoed in his thoughts. He knew he couldn't ignore it. The mystery was deepening, and he had to

find the truth, no matter the cost.

Determined, he stood up, brushing off the concerned hands of the palace staff. "I need to speak with the council immediately," he declared. The path ahead was uncertain, but he was resolute. The truth about the girl with pink eyes and the dark forces at play had to be uncovered, and he was ready to face whatever lay ahead.

Nate strode into the council chamber, still grappling with the eerie scene from the garden. The council members were already gathered, their faces reflecting a mixture of concern and confusion. As he took his seat, the chairman began to speak, but Nate could barely focus. The maid's haunting words, "The girl is not the problem—you must know," echoed relentlessly in his mind, drowning out the council's discussion.

He stared blankly at the table, the voices around him melding into an incomprehensible hum. The chairman's voice cut through the fog, drawing Nate’s attention. "Your Highness, are you listening?"

Nate snapped out of his reverie, responding with a distracted "Huh?"

"We were discussing bringing all the black-haired girls in the kingdom to

the palace for questioning," the chairman repeated.

Nate nodded absentmindedly, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. "Yes, of course," he murmured. "Do what needs to be done."

Excusing himself, Nate left the chamber, feeling the eyes of the council on his back. He needed a moment to clear his mind, to think about the maid’s warning and what it could mean. As Nate walked through the palace halls, lost in thought, a sudden movement caught his eye. A girl with black hair darted across the hallway, looking frantic. Without thinking, he sprinted after her, his heart pounding with a mix of curiosity and urgency.

He chased her through the winding corridors, his footsteps echoing off the stone walls. She turned a corner, and he followed, determined not to lose sight of her. As he rounded the bend, he found himself in a sunlit courtyard, the girl standing still, her back to him.

Nate approached cautiously, but as he got closer, the scene around him began to shift. The courtyard transformed into a familiar playground from his childhood. He saw himself as a young boy, laughing and playing

tag with the same girl. Her black hair flowed behind her as she ran, her laughter ringing in his ears.

The memory was vivid and bittersweet. He remembered the carefree days of his youth, the bond he shared with the girl who had been his closest friend. But as quickly as the memory appeared, it faded, and he was back in the present, standing in the courtyard.

The girl turned to face him, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and recognition. "Nate," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You must know."

Before he could respond, the vision dissolved, and he found himself alone once more. The weight of the past and the present pressed down on him, and he knew that the answers he sought were intertwined with his own memories. Determined to uncover the truth, he steeled himself for the challenges ahead.

Nate, his mind swirling with the vivid memory, made his way to his mother's chambers. She was seated by the window, embroidering a piece of cloth. The calm, repetitive motion of her hands contrasted sharply with

the turmoil in his heart.

"Mother," he began, voice trembling slightly, "I had a vision—a memory, I think. There was a girl with black hair. We were playing tag as children. Who was she? And what happened to her?"

His mother looked up from her work, her expression filled with a mix of sorrow and concern. "Her name was Summer," she said softly. "You were very close, inseparable even."

Nate’s heart ached at the name. "What happened to her?"

His mother took a deep breath, as if bracing herself. "There was an accident, Nate. She fell into the ocean, and despite our best efforts, we never found her body. It was a devastating loss for you."

Nate felt a chill run down his spine. "But why don't I remember any of this?"

His mother hesitated, then sighed deeply. "When she passed away, you were devastated. You couldn't cope with the grief. You asked us to erase all your memories of her because the pain was too much to bear."

The revelation hit Nate like a tidal wave. The connection between