Royal

For seventeen years, Kael Ashryn has lived as an outcast in the Kingdom of Valenor. Branded the "Cursed Child" after his parents died under mysterious circumstances, he is blamed for every tragedy that befalls his village. Shunned, ridiculed, and denied every chance to prove himself, Kael clings to the hope that one day he will earn the acceptance he has always longed for. That hope is destroyed when a sacred relic vanishes from the royal vault. Framed by fabricated evidence and abandoned by everyone he trusted, Kael is convicted of treason and sentenced to a public execution. As he awaits death, an ancient seal buried beneath the execution platform suddenly responds to his blood, awakening the long-forgotten Shadow Monarch Core. The execution grounds erupt into chaos as living shadows slaughter the soldiers, allowing Kael to escape. Branded the greatest threat to humanity, Kael becomes the target of a continent-wide manhunt. Royals, powerful nobles, secret organizations, and mysterious cults all seek to capture him, each hiding motives tied to a forgotten past. While struggling to control his terrifying new abilities, Kael uncovers the truth behind history's greatest lie: the legendary Shadow Monarch was never a tyrant but a hero who sacrificed everything to imprison the ancient Void Sovereign. Joined by unlikely allies—warriors, scholars, mercenaries, and mages burdened with secrets of their own—Kael discovers that his parents were guardians of the ancient seal and that his entire life was orchestrated by those who feared his true heritage. Yet every new power he gains strengthens the whispers of darkness within him, threatening to consume his humanity. As kingdoms fall into war and ancient monsters awaken, Kael must master the shadows without surrendering to them. To save the continent from a returning nightmare, he must uncover the truth before history repeats itself.

At seven, my father returned with his mistress and my half-brother, who was only a few weeks older than me. Under my mother's grief-stricken and despairing eyes, my father ruthlessly kicked us out. I always knew that my father wanted a supernaturally awakened and talented heir, however, I didn't fit the bill because I couldn't awaken any special talents and didn't show outstanding academic abilities. Moreover, my uncles and aunts were eyeing my father's position, eager to overthrow him and take his place. Competitors also harbored ill intentions towards our family, watching my father like a hawk. In this treacherous situation, my father rekindled his relationship with his mistress, the second daughter of a noble family from the Royal City. Finally, my father no longer concealed his pre-marital affair. After making it public, he brought his mistress and her talented son back home to replace my mother and me. To survive, my mother had no choice but to take me into hiding, changing our identities and fleeing to a remote town to escape their grasp and settle down. What my father didn't know was that I didn't lack talent; my talent was simply too strong, requiring an immense amount of energy to awaken, energy that my weak seven-year-old self couldn't handle. Eleven years later, I had grown up and finally awakened my superlative talent, becoming a renowned genius in the remote town. I never thought about going back to confront my father or seeking revenge on his mistress because they weren't worth my mother's and my time! My mother and I are doing well now. I believe with my talent and effort, our lives will only get better. However, I overestimated the goodness in people, and underestimated their malice!

They should have made sure he stayed down. Seventeen-year-old Theodore Cross knows his place at the bottom. Bullied. Broke. Beaten. Working dead-end shifts to pay off his dead father's debts while his mother slowly dies from an illness he can't afford to treat. When gang enforcers corner him in an alley and beat him within an inch of his life, Theo accepts his fate. He's always been prey. This is just how his story ends. Except it doesn't. An ancient dying werewolf fleeing from hunters finds Theo bleeding out and makes a choice. With its final breath, it passes on something that hasn't been seen in five hundred years: a Royal bloodline. Theo wakes to a new reality. Enhanced strength. Supernatural senses. And a mysterious Blood Moon System that treats his life like a game with quests, levels, and abilities that grow stronger with every challenge he conquers. But this power comes with brutal rules: The Masquerade must never be broken. The Midnight Council rules with an iron fist. Born werewolves see him as an inferior mutt worthy only of death. And inside him, a beast grows stronger each day, whispering promises of violence and domination. The people who made his life hell are about to learn a hard lesson "Theodore Cross is done being prey." From underground fight clubs to pack politics, from gang warfare to supernatural hunters, Theo must navigate a hidden world where one mistake means death. He'll build his own pack from outcasts and misfits. Face enemies who've had centuries to perfect their cruelty. And somehow keep the monster inside from consuming what's left of his humanity. Because in the end, the real question isn't whether he can survive. It's what kind of monster he'll become.