The Forgotten Prince

"And that was the end of Prince Leonhardt," Professor Harrison’s voice echoed through the class. "At such a young age, he was overthrown by his own uncle and disappeared from history without a trace. No one knows for sure how he spent his final days."

The bell rang, marking the end of the history lesson. Students began packing their things, some chatting, others leaving in a hurry.

Selena Evander shut her book with a sigh. Something felt off. She wasn’t satisfied with today’s lesson. The history of Prince Leonhardt left too many unanswered questions buzzing in her head!

Why did history only mention that Prince Leonhardt died after the coup, but never detailed how? Was he executed? Did he fight back?

Even more frustrating, her professor—who was supposed to be an expert—couldn't answer her questions. He said there were no historical records to explain it. But how could that be? They were living in the very country that once belonged to Prince Leonhardt’s kingdom!

Tch, what kind of nonsense was that?

As Selena gathered her belongings, her friend Maya nudged her arm. "I feel bad for Prince Leonhardt. Imagine being betrayed by your own family."

Selena exhaled. "Yeah... royal politics are ruthless. Being overthrown by family isn’t exactly new."

"But still, it’s horrible. I'm glad we’re just ordinary people."

"You’re right. We’re just spectators of history... but history itself is written by the victors," Selena murmured.

Maya nodded. "Do you think the history we know might not be the real one?"

"Logically speaking, yes. Rulers always write history in their favor. It only preserves what they want the world to remember."

"And now, we’re living in a country ruled by the descendants of that treacherous uncle," Maya added.

Selena sighed. "Country Z used to be part of the Elberia Kingdom, which became a modern state after the coup. Even though we still have a king, the government is run by a prime minister now. We live in peace, but... if Prince Leonhardt hadn’t been overthrown, would history have been different?"

Maya shrugged. "Even if he stayed in power, there's no guarantee we'd be living any better, right?"

A sudden gust of wind made Selena pause. Maya's words made sense, but still...

"Why are there no further records of him?" Selena muttered. "If he was a prince, there should at least be documents detailing his final days."

"Maybe the records were lost over time?" Maya guessed randomly.

"But why only his story? The first king’s records are still intact."

Maya groaned. "I hate your curiosity!"

Selena chuckled. But no matter what, she couldn’t shake off this nagging feeling.

As they walked past the campus library, Selena’s steps slowed. Normally, she’d head straight home, but this time...

"I’m gonna stop by the library," she said suddenly.

Maya blinked. "Seriously? It’s already late! The weather forecast even said there’s gonna be a storm!"

"You go ahead. I'll make sure to leave before the storm hits. Don’t worry too much about me..."

Maya sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll leave you to it, bookworm."

Selena laughed softly. "Take care on your way home!"

As Maya left, Selena stepped into the library, letting her curiosity guide her steps.

---

Towering bookshelves stretched high, filled with thousands of books carrying stories from different eras. Selena walked through the silent aisles, her eyes scanning the titles in the history section.

Her fingers trailed along the spines of old books, searching for something—though she didn’t know what. The nagging feeling inside her just wouldn’t let go. But nothing stood out.

Time passed without her noticing. The sky outside darkened, and the wind howled louder.

Braaak!

A window at the far end of the room burst open, letting in a fierce gust of wind. Selena flinched, quickly closing the book she had been holding.

At that moment, a book fell from a nearby shelf.

She approached it, crouching down to pick it up. There was no title on the cover. Its leather was deep black, with faint golden carvings that had faded over time. When her fingers brushed against it, an odd sensation washed over her.

For a second, her heart pounded faster. Something about this book felt... different.

She tried to return it to the shelf, but there was no label or catalog number on its spine.

Her brows furrowed. Usually, every book in the library had an archival code. She took it to the access desk to look up its location, but strangely, there was no record of it in the library’s system.

It was as if this book... had never existed here in the first place.

Selena bit her lip. She couldn’t just leave it there. Besides, the wind outside was growing stronger, signaling the approaching storm.

Without thinking too much, she decided to take it home.

As Selena walked out of the library with the book in her arms, an unexplainable feeling crept over her. The book felt heavier than it should—like something was hidden inside. The worn leather felt oddly cold against her fingertips, unlike any other book she had ever touched.

Every time her fingers grazed its dark cover, a tingling sensation ran up her arm. A mix of unease and curiosity swirled in her chest. It was as if the book... had been waiting for someone to find it.

Her steps quickened. The storm was getting closer, the wind whipping at her hair. But it wasn’t just the weather making her hurry. Something about this book made her restless.

"What are you...?" she whispered, absentmindedly running her thumb over the cover.

No title. No author. No markings to indicate where it came from. It was as if the book had appeared out of nowhere.

Once she arrived home, she closed the door and let out a long breath. The rain had started falling, droplets tapping against the window. Carefully, she placed the book on her desk.

She stared at it for a long moment, as if expecting it to answer her questions. But of course, it remained silent.

Yet, one thing was certain.

For the first time in her life, Selena felt like she wasn’t just reading history… but standing at the edge of something much greater. Something that would change her fate forever.