Chapter 1: The Banished Prince

**Chapter 1: The Banished Prince**

Shahil awoke with a start, the unfamiliar weight of silk sheets and ornate tapestries tugging him from his disoriented state. His mind raced, grappling with the stark contrast between the mundane world he knew and this new, extravagant reality. As his senses adjusted, he found himself in an opulent chamber adorned with intricate carvings and glowing crystal chandeliers. Panic set in as he realized he was no longer in the familiar confines of his modest apartment, but in a place brimming with grandeur and history.

"Where am I?" he muttered, his voice echoing through the spacious room. Just then, the heavy oak doors creaked open, revealing a stern-faced man clad in armor.

"Your Highness," the man said, bowing slightly. "The council awaits your presence in the throne room."

"Your Highness?" Shahil repeated, bewildered. The man nodded curtly, offering no further explanation. Shahil rose from the lavish bed, feeling the weight of his new reality settling on his shoulders.

As he was led through the winding corridors of the grand palace, memories not his own began to flood his mind. He was in Alderia, a kingdom teeming with humans, elves, and other mystical beings. He was the son of the king, but not just any son—he was the incompetent, despised son, framed by his step-siblings who loathed him with every fiber of their being.

The throne room loomed ahead, its massive doors etched with scenes of valor and conquest. Shahil's heart pounded as he was ushered inside. The room was filled with courtiers, their eyes cold and judgmental. At the far end, on a raised dais, sat the king, his expression a mask of stern disappointment.

"Shahil," the king's voice boomed, filled with a mixture of disdain and sorrow. "You stand accused of treason against your own blood. The evidence is irrefutable, and your siblings have testified against you."

Shahil's mind raced, piecing together the fragments of his new reality. He knew he was innocent, yet the hatred in his step-siblings' eyes told him there would be no justice here. They had conspired against him, their envy and malice driving them to frame him for crimes he hadn't committed.

"As punishment," the king continued, "you are hereby banished from Alderia. You will be stripped of your title and sent to the farthest reaches of our kingdom, never to return."

The room fell silent as the weight of the king's words settled over them. Shahil felt a strange mix of relief and despair. He had no attachment to the royal life, but the bitterness of betrayal stung deep.

Unbeknownst to him, a darker fate awaited. As he was escorted from the throne room, a subtle ache began to spread through his body—a slow, insidious poison administered by his siblings to ensure his demise in exile. But Shahil, ignorant of the lethal plot, found solace in the thought of a peaceful life away from the treacherous court.

He envisioned a humble existence in the countryside, far from the scheming and the politics. A simple life, where he could find love and happiness untainted by power and greed. Yet, as he stepped into the carriage that would take him to his banishment, he couldn't shake the feeling that his journey was only beginning. The stars above twinkled with a mysterious light, as if whispering of a destiny far greater than he could ever imagine.

Fate, it seemed, had other plans for the banished prince.