To Nathaniel Valtor Keres, only one thing mattered in his life. Of course it was Adrianna, whom he completely loved.

Born with the fabled midnight curse, he was scorned by his father, the Emperor of the Keres Empire. Despite this, right from birth, he was bestowed with the status of Crown Prince because he was the only prince in the Empire.

If the Empire's history were to be traced back to a few centuries ago, similar cases to his, would be found. But such was a narrative for another day.

Nathaniel, preferred going by the shorter form of his name, Nathan, which Adrianna would usually call him by. His entire being was solely devoted to her endeavors.

How could he describe what he felt for Adrianna? It was hard to express in mere words. Undoubtedly, he was in love with her. In fact, some days, it felt like his feelings had surpassed love and transcended to something much deeper.

Much darker.

At first, his feelings had stemmed from admiration he had towards her. She was confident. She was strong. She was smart. She was everything he wasn't at that time.

She always managed to get whatever she wanted. In earnest, he wanted to be just like her.

That day, in the bitter winter where the new Empress had led him to die, was the day he met Adrianna. He was bleeding, weak and cowering in the cold, when he stared into her deep purple eyes.

"How disgusting..."

The words uttered by the girl had surprised him. For a moment, he doubted if they were directed at him because she resembled a young fairy incapable of malice. However, her eyes filled with contempt, still laid on him and she went on.

"It's irritating to go on looking at you. For heaven's sake, get up!" She threw her hands in the air, and gritted her teeth.

"A few people want you dead. So what? You want to hasten their mission?"

He was silent.

"Or you want pity? At the cost of your life?"

"Leave me alone" The younger Nathan had a prickly personality. This finally showed up in the face of the girl's heartless remarks. The effects of his injury and the cold lessened as he became infuriated.

"You don't know anything" He spat out angrily.

She folded her arms and looked down on him.

"I do know. You were so weak that your step mother was able to chase you out. You're falling apart because everyone says you're a monster"

The words stung, but they were the unfortunate truth. But how did this girl, who seemed a few years younger than him, know about it?

"You must really despise your father and the Empress"

The red haired girl spoke, her voice dripping with malevolence, like a demon awakening the darkest recesses of Nathan's soul. She expertly unraveled his intricate emotions, exposing the twisted feelings brimming under his calm exterior.

"I can help you execute your revenge"

Hope, a fleeting concept often associated with the warmth of light, had long eluded Nathan. His existence had been shrouded in an impenetrable darkness, leaving him with a singular longing – to find solace in the radiance he had never known. Yet, this elusive light remained an enigma, while darkness beckoned him deeper into the abyss.

Still, he craved to be in the light.

"But I only help those who have something to offer"

This desired light, was never found.

"So become monstrously strong so you can pay me back one day"

Instead, Adrianna gave him something better. Something a lot more...twisted...

On that desolate day, amidst the biting cold, Adrianna extended her hand, her lips curling into a sinister smile.

"Come with me. And you'll get everything you desire"

The red haired girl who had looked like an ethereal fairy upon first glance, had transformed into a ruthless demon in his eyes, as her words dripped with a twisted allure.

And he caved in to her offer.

At that time, he would have termed it as falling into the devil's temptation.

She offered to help Nathaniel become strong and in return he'd obey every single one of her commands. Their relationship operated on a give and take basis, until one day, he began to yearn for more. He wanted to devote himself more to her.

The light he'd always desired, was far out of Nathaniel's reach. Instead, Adrianna made him feel comfortable in the eerie darkness that surrounded him. Forever, he'd always feel dirty and unworthy. But being miserable was alright...after all Adrianna said so.

"Us humans, even the kindest and purest, have secrets...dirty and unpleasant pasts"

Nathan had so many secrets. Secrets that seemed to grow everyday. These secrets, he swore to harness into strengths, rather than weaknesses.

"But make sure not to drown entirely in your misery. Crush all your enemies and make sure they suffer misery that'll surpass yours"

Adrianna...how smart and cunning she was. Always so unrelenting and bold. Her wicked deeds could liken her to a she-devil. These sides of her, which he learnt of while growing up, made him utterly devoted to her. Normally it would make sense to fear the devil, but Nathan was different. He had found solace and had become dependent on this scheming devil.

No longer did Nathan yearn for the brilliant light. He was quite content with living in unending darkness, as long as Adrianna was in his life.

Overtime the red haired devil transformed, and she became a goddess in his eyes. He revered and worshipped Adrianna. He'd drawn much strength from her person and he wanted to do more than pay her back.

The more she gave him, the more he yearned. However, Adrianna had drawn a clear line between him and herself when she got engaged to Ronald Belv.

"I'm incapable of loving anyone but myself. I cherish you Nathan, and I wouldn't want to put you in a loveless relationship. One day, I'll have you marry someone who will help destroy your curse"

It seemed Adrianna had caught on. His secret was uncovered. Had she noticed from the way how he intensely stared at her? Did she notice how he spent his quiet moments with only thoughts of her flooding his brain? Did she realize how he took every opportunity to get closer to her and hold her hand? Was it really obvious how desperate he was for her attention? Though embarrassed, it wasn't a surprise she realized. After all, Adrianna was quite sharp.

Then again, she was the one who lured him into falling for her.

Braving himself, he voiced out his innermost thoughts.

"Please don't get engaged to Ronald"

Adrianna, looked up from the letter she was writing, then stared at Nathan with her purple eyes.

"What? Why?"

With an eyebrow raised, she asked him a question she already knew the answer to.

"I think I'd run mad if you did"

"You won't. But you'd actually run mad if you live a few more years with that curse"

"So be it"

"How stubborn you've become. Even talking back to me"

A 'tch' left her mouth as she sealed the letter then set it down before folding her arms. "But my decision is final. This engagement is essential for my business during the next few years. I need the Belv Duchy's resources"

Nathan stepped forward. "I can give you all the resources you need once I return as the Crown Prince"

"That is, if you're alive to assume the role of the Crown Prince"

"But-

"I know what you want from me Nathan. Unless you can get rid of your curse with another way that's different from what I've planned, I can't marry you"

"Does my life span really matter?"

"Of course" She answered coldly, seeming to want to dismiss the topic. She went on. "Moreover, I can't marry a man that I don't love"

"But you don't love Ronald"

"Yes. But I do love the momentary power I'd possess"

"How heartless you are...." Out of anger, he muttered words he didn't mean.

"Ouch. That hurts." She replied.

Adrianna stood up then opened her arms, and reached out to Nathan in a hug. There it was, using his likes to pacify him. Even though he was infuriated, he couldn't reject her embrace and attentively listened as she spoke.

"I'm not heartless. Actually I have a huge heart. It's just that......"

An uncharacteristic emotion danced in her eyes. Nathan found himself captivated by the bitterness that swirled beneath her purple eyes. She completed her words with a small laugh.

".....it's very dark and empty. Only unlimited power can fill the void."

Yes. Darkness. A long time foe, now turned friend. It seemed it had not been haunting him alone.

Nathan opened his mouth to pose a question, a challenge he feared he'd not be able to complete. "But what if..."

He was scared. In the past he had drowned in the darkness. It had taken Adrianna's tenaciousness to pull him out of it. But now, Adrianna seemed so sunken in this darkness and it was his turn to remove her from it.

For a moment, he was afraid to approach despair which he had barely struggled to break free from. However, he still took a bold step forward and spoke words he had been afraid he'd not measure up to.

"What if I were to make that darkness go away? What if I were to fill the void by giving you unlimited power and so much more?"

Adrianna remained quiet as she leaned on his chest. He was about to repeat himself, in case she didn't hear, but she replied a moment before that.

"If you were able to, then just maybe, I'd fall for you"

And there it was, that sinister smirk that always tugged at her lips. He had seen it so many times. It was a taunting non-verbal remark. Just like a few years ago, where she'd challenge him to practice his swordsmanship for two days straight, her lips stretched and her eyes seemed to go higher. The smirk said 'I dare you to'. An expression he had become familiar with, after watching it play out on her face several times.

This dare from Adrianna, drove Nathan to go to extreme lengths. His love for Adrianna burned with a forbidden intensity. He sought out ways, to rid his curse while doing extensive investigations on magic. But none seemed to succeed and Nathan fell into utter despair.

'I'm so useless being unable to resolve some miserly curse'

'How am I supposed to give Adrianna everything she wants if I can barely do this?'

'Adrianna said I would achieve everything I wanted cause I'm special, but is that really true?'

Doubt swirled in his mind, as he deemed himself unworthy of Adrianna. But some contradictory voices gnawed at the back of his mind, saying otherwise.

'If I'm not worthy of Adrianna which man is?'

'I'm the one who cares about Adrianna the most'

'I'm the only one Adrianna should pay attention to'

'No one should ever touch Adrianna'

'I am the best man on the continent'

'I am the male lead'

'What?' Nathan snapped out of his reverie and jolted awake as if from a deep slumber. He felt an eerie presence within, as if malevolent entities wrestled for dominion over his being.

Perhaps these feelings were the effects of the curse on his bloodline which was associated with madness and unholy desires. Some of his predecessors had gone mad and gotten consumed by similar messed up thoughts.

Yet, Nathan believed he had self control.

At least, up until Adrianna told him she was breaking her engagement with Ronald.

The revelation rekindled a long-held flame and shook him to his core. Nathan's heart now yearned for more than mere embers from Adrianna.

He wished to be consumed in Adrianna's blazing fire.

An unforgettable moment for him, was when Adrianna had posed a question that pierced his soul.

"Nathan, why do you love me?" She asked, her face flushed with the warmth of wine, seeming to hold a hint of genuine curiosity.

"I don't know" He replied while swirling his glass of wine.

He lied. He did know.

'I love you because of how strong and smart you are'

'I love how you can perfectly hide your monstrous side and bring it out at the right time'

'I love you because you told me it's okay to sometimes listen to my inner demons'

'I love you because you made me into this wicked monster of a person'

'I love you because of the moment you told me only hard work would make me into something special'

'I love you after learning so much about you while we've been together'

'I love you because you openly show your selfish sides and you don't hide when you want to use me'

'I love you because you're the only one who has, and ever will accept my twisted self'

However, he couldn't say any of that out loud. His feelings had a ferocity that bordered on possession.

"But I know I love you"

Was all he could declare that night, trying not to betray his thoughts.

Then she kissed him.

Adrianna kissed Nathan on the lips. Although their game had such rules, they had never actually followed them. But now, she just did.

In the past, he had been satisfied with the minimal interest she showed, but now that she paid him more attention, he craved for more.

More of her daring challenges. More of her domineering commands. More of the intoxicating thrill she ignited within. More of her.

Maybe Adrianna wasn't aware of the depths of his obsession. On the other hand, her sharp intellect could possibly have discerned the darkness that lurked beneath his feelings for her. After all, he knew she had deliberately led him to this point and ensnared him, having him wrapped around her fingers.

And quite willing was he, to dance to her tune.

"Our relationship is going to be a give and take. We'll take what we need from each other and give back things that are worth it"

Nathan knew it was so, but now that she proposed marriage, he reconsidered their relationship. He wanted to make a daring bargain.

"I want to take you, and make you mine. In return, I'll give you the whole world"

These thoughts of his were a solemn vow pertaining to what he'd do in the future.

Perchance the curse he had lived with for twenty-four (24) years, had finally made him insane. Or maybe, he had been born a lunatic. Either way, he didn't care any longer.

All that mattered now were his new plans and Adrianna's ambitions.

He thought about the capital and the imperial family, his supposedly family.

"Just wait for a moment, I'm coming to kill you all"

Then he'd make Adrianna his Empress.

For Nathan, all he desired was the happily ever after Adrianna had told him about when they were younger.

'Even though you are predestined to live happily ever after, you have to work towards it'

She had beckoned for him to move closer before she gestured at the Deor mansion which could be seen from the distance.

'But don't be mistaken. Happily ever after isn't merely the momentary joy gotten from accomplishing some measly goal'

As she spoke, she plucked a dandelion then blew on it, before finally saying.

'Happily ever after entails that the world is yours to command'

Recalling the younger Adrianna's words, Nathan smirked because of what he envisioned or rather, what he knew. He knew very well, that...

Happily ever after, was within his reach.