ORB OF DESTINY: The Midnight Key

A glowing key. A dangerous king. A fiery gateway to the stars.Mary's search for the legendary Orb of Destiny continues after she escapes from a thick cloud of dragon fog. Using the smoke to light the tip of her wand, she carefully finds her way through the darkness. But before she can feel safe, something enormous sweeps over her head and lands behind her.The mysterious creature introduces himself as King Droth, the King of Demons. He claims to have heard stories about Mary from King Pegaso and Princess Unicornia, and says that he wants to join her quest for the Orb of Destiny. Mary barely has time to respond before King Droth lifts her into the sky and carries her away. Castle dragons race after them, but the powerful king escapes through the clouds and takes Mary towards a gigantic town filled with glowing towers and dark stone walls.To Mary, the strange town looks like a dream come true. To the people of Earth, however, it appears to be a threat. Travellers discover the hidden settlement and warn others about what they have seen. Soon, groups of earthlings march towards the town, only to find its gates guarded by demons.Meanwhile, Mary and King Droth are working on an extraordinary plan. Together with the demons, they build a giant Ring of Fire capable of launching them into outer space. The magical gateway will only work if they can find the Midnight Key. When a shiny black key is discovered on the ground, Mary holds it tightly as the demons gather around the blazing ring. The key is thrown into the flames, the earth begins to tremble, and the fire rises higher and higher until everything explodes with a tremendous boom.Where will the Ring of Fire take Mary, King Droth and the demons? Will their journey bring Mary closer to the Orb of Destiny, or carry her into an even greater mystery?The Midnight Key is the second illustrated adventure in the Orb of Destiny series. Filled with enchanted objects, moonlit castles, dragons, demons, magical smoke and a dramatic journey into space, the story combines fantasy, action and suspense in a format designed for young readers. Short passages and vivid full-page illustrations make the adventure accessible and engaging, while the cliffhanger ending encourages children to imagine what may happen next.At its heart, the book celebrates courage, curiosity and the determination to continue searching even when the path becomes strange or uncertain. Mary remains a bold and memorable heroine who enters unfamiliar worlds, meets unusual characters and faces every new challenge with her glowing wand in hand.The book also includes a themed colouring activity, allowing children to revisit the Midnight Key, the Ring of Fire and the characters through creative play.Written by seven-year-old author Essa Alzarouni, The Midnight Key offers a wonderfully imaginative continuation of Mary's quest and a thrilling new chapter in the world of the Orb of Destiny.