banter · enemies to lovers · blind prince · slum boy · banished kingdom · banter · banter · banter · banter
The kingdom smelled of rot and desperation. Dust clung to the air, swirling in the thin light that filtered through the cracks of the slums, where the cobblestones were slick with grime and the silence of hunger pressed down like a weight. Chuuya Nakahara moved through the narrow alleys, his worn boots scraping against the stone, the echo of his footsteps swallowed by the hollow stillness. The palace loomed in the distance, its marble towers gleaming with a cold, untouchable brilliance — a stark contrast to the world that withered at its feet. He clenched his jaw, the fabric of his threadbare coat pulled tight against the chill. The notice he'd read that morning burned in his mind: "Demanding. Not for the weak." He'd scoffed at the words, but now, standing at the iron gates that led to…