Chapter 1: The Storm and the Mirror

Kiara never believed in magic-until the mirror shattered.
Thrown from her ordinary life into the cursed kingdom of Virel, where laughter is forbidden and hearts are stolen, she's named in an ancient prophecy as the only one who can break the Queen's hold. But nothing about saving a kingdom is simple. Especially not when the boy meant to protect her - Staten, the Queen's heartless prince - is tangled in the very magic trying to destroy her.

As Kiara fights to awaken the kingdom's lost spirit, she finds herself torn between what's real, what's been forced, and what her heart dares to want.
When destiny demands sacrifice, Kiara must decide: save herself, or save the boy who was never meant to feel.
Either way, something will break.