Chapter Text
Once, long ago, in the very heart of France, far from the eyes of common folk, there lived quietly in a small town a group of wizards. And they had a castle filled with magic, where every year children came to learn the greatest of all arts – magic.
There was peace and tranquility among them until the birth of a very gifted child, the only living heir to an ancient lineage. His talent was extraordinary. He learned faster than others and understood far more than most children of his age. Anyone who looked into his eyes felt as though the young man knew the answer to every question. He was loved and revered, and some even bowed to him.
And though this young man seemed to have everything that a heart could desire, he was too self-centered, unfriendly, and arrogant.
Years passed, and the young man graduated from that very castle. Like all the wizards before him, he left it to carve his own path into the future. He chose a political career, and before long, with his skill and knowledge, he won the hearts of the townspeople. As a result, the now-adult man gained unlimited power.
But over time, things took a turn for the worse: greed took hold of his heart. He desired to take all the magic for himself and become the sole owner of it. With such thoughts, resorting to the help of dark magic, that distinguished man stained his hands with blood.
His tyranny eventually led him back to the gates of that very castle he had once left behind, the castle whose magic he had always longed to possess deep within his greedy heart. However, he met resistance. Graduates and teachers of the school fought side by side against the common enemy. Yet, even with their combined efforts, it was difficult to oppose him.
Then, the eldest and strongest among them, in a bid to stop the terrible ritual, warned the man.
But the dark wizard only laughed at the old man's words. And then the elder realized that the heart of the man before him knew neither love, nor forgiveness, nor pity.
Despair gripped them, for they were unable to fully stop the wicked deed. They then decided that it would be better to sacrifice their souls in this battle than to surrender to the enemy – and they joined hands to redirect the dark magic.
At that moment, the dark wizard transformed into a grotesque beast, and the ritual cast a curse upon the castle and the town, almost wiping out all its inhabitants.
Years passed, and the world forgot about the magic, the school, and everyone who had been there, for the ritual took away the townspeople's memory of anything related to magic.
The rose – the last chance to break the curse set by the brave heroes with their magic – was enchanted.
If the wicked wizard could learn to love another and win their love before the last petal fell, the curse would lose its power.
If not, he would live as a monster for the rest of his days.
Ashamed of his monstrous form, the wizard locked himself in the castle.
Years flowed by, and the wizard fell into despair. For who could love a beast?