The Cursed King (Children Of The Cursed Book 3)

The Final Battle Against the Kingdom of Cinders

After the betrayal at Drasal Castle, Leon—the Chosen One—is broken by grief, haunted by loss, and afraid of the unstable power rising within him. As Ulrich embraces the Dark Lord’s ancient essence and crowns himself the Cursed King, a new dominion is born from necromancy, slave labor, and ash: the Kingdom of Cinders.

With the Resistance fractured and time running out, Leon must master his sorrow, confront the darkness that claimed his closest friend, and lead a desperate strike into the heart of enemy power. While armies clash on a battlefield designed for annihilation, his true war begins at the ruins of the Old Altar, where the past, the prophecy, and the Dark Lord’s bloodline finally collide.

The prophecy ends here. Discover the final chapter of Leon’s journey and the sacrifice that will decide the fate of the realm.

Excerpt from the book

Days later, the Resistance gathered at the temporary command post near Drasal. The leaders were weary, physically and spiritually broken, yet bound by the promise of revenge. Micha, though exhausted, tirelessly worked to disarm the remnants of the Knights of Valor.

Gawain slumped at a rough-hewn table, tracing the lines of his map with a shaky finger. His wound was deep, and he ignored Catherine’s orders for rest. He watched as Aurelius entered the tent, his face etched with a silent, absolute fury.

“The scouts reached Hyss Woods this morning,” Aurelius said, his Elven voice colder than the winter wind. “It’s gone, Gawain. Cinders and ash. Ulrich and Caine ensured nothing remained. They killed my people simply to send a message.”

“Then we mourn, and we plan,” Gawain declared, weakly pushing himself upright. “Ulrich and Caine have established their new dominion. We need to know where they are and what they are building.”

The grim construction of the Kingdom of Cinders continued unabated. Caine, as the true architect, ensured the scorched earth, once a ruinous testament to the fleeting life of the old village, now hummed with forced, grim industry. Hundreds of Drasal’s citizens, forcibly gathered and enslaved, worked day and night, their terrified labor shaping the foundation of the Cursed King’s new seat of power.

The air was heavy, not just with dust and the smell of slave labor, but with the cloying presence of dark magic emanating from the very stones Caine enforced. The Dark Knights—men neither living nor dead—patrolled the perimeter, their chilling silence and dark armor terrifying the laborers into absolute compliance.

Caine stood on a makeshift parapet, utterly satisfied. Ulrich sat upon the obsidian throne, the Reaper Blade across his knees, radiating subtle waves of power.

“More speed, First Knight!” Ulrich’s voice, flat and echoing.

“My King, the laborers are weak,” Caine responded, bowing deeply.

“Then break them further, Caine,” Ulrich ordered. “Their allegiance is irrelevant; only their sweat matters. Continue to integrate the power within the blade.”

The Council, composed of Queen Mina, Micha, Gawain, Catherine, Shena, and Aurelius, finalized the initial strategy.

“Ulrich has vanished,” Mina began. “He possesses the Reaper Blade, and he has fled to establish his dominion. He intends to conquer the entire realm, starting with the sea lanes.”

“He will target Northgate,” Gawain realized. “The closest strategic port. If Northgate falls, Ulrich controls the western sea.”

Micha presented the audacious plan: “We send a swift strike team to secure Northgate immediately. We require the fastest ship and a desperate captain: Bosch.”

A wave of grim anger swept across the room. “Bosch? The pirate traitor?” Gawain snarled.

“He is a coward, but he is the fastest,” Micha argued. “And we need Stilfadr. Stilfadr’s warriors can hold Northgate.”

The decision was finalized. Stilfadr, the Barbarian King, agreed to commit his forces only after hearing of the desecration of Hyss Woods, swayed by moral outrage at the Dark Lord’s spiteful destruction of nature.

Stilfadr sent the courier back with a stern warning: “Tell them I fight for the sanctity of the earth and the freedom of my people. If this ‘Chosen One’ fails, my axe will be used to end the life of your entire Council before I let Ulrich’s darkness touch the North.”