Sunlight slipped in through the tall windows, scattering golden rays across the stone corridor like liquid gold.
It looked beautiful.
Peaceful, even.
But beauty doesn't always mean safety.
I was walking beside Father now—not in his arms anymore. I should've felt proud. Grown-up. But the weight in my chest made it hard to breathe.
I could feel his eyes on me, observing. Judging.
"Still having nightmares?"
His voice was gentle—too gentle. As if he was trying not to scare me.
Or maybe… because he already knew I was scared.
I didn't answer right away. My gaze stayed on the floor, where the shadows stretched long behind us. They always followed.
I gave a small nod.
"What do you see in those dreams?"
That question again.
Last year, I told him about the dreams.
Not because I wanted to—but because I wanted something else.
His attention. For his eyes to move away from his desk. That day, he listened. That day, he cared.
So I said something I thought might make him stay.
Maybe that's where it all began.
"A dark place…" I murmured. "I couldn't move. They were all there, but they couldn't see me."
Another lie.
But a clean one.
I made it sound like the dreams came first—when in truth, they came after.
But… was it really a lie?
It did happen. Just not in a dream.
I swallowed hard.
Father's steps slowed beside me.
"That creature… how did it reach you? Did you scream? Call for us?"
I stopped beneath a tall window facing south.
Sunlight bathed my skin like water. It should've felt warm. But it didn't. My blood felt cold.
"Clarity was nearby. So was Mother. But… I couldn't scream."
I clenched my fists. The pressure kept them from trembling.
"My legs wouldn't move," I added. My throat ached as I said it.
I turned toward the southern pavilion—Merliah.
Mother's quarters.
Her place always looked warm under the sunlight.
Safe.
But I wasn't safe there.
"I saw them," I whispered. "But they couldn't reach me. Like there was an invisible wall between me and Mother."
I took a deep breath.
"The creature… it laughed."
Laughed—because it knew no one could save me.
"But… the sound of my shoes… Mother turned her head for a moment." My voice faded. "But even then, she couldn't reach me. Neither could the creature."
I wanted to cry.
Not because I was scared.
Because, in the end, maybe I wasn't even worth saving.
And then—I felt it.
His hand, gripping mine—tight.
"Oh, my son…" Father's voice cracked. "Forgive me. I wasn't there. Forgive me…"
My lips parted. I hadn't expected that. For a moment, I almost believed him.
"You're kind too, Father," I murmured. "I know…"
He smiled—but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Then why didn't you call for me?"
"Why didn't you believe I could protect you… like your Mother?"
I froze.
"I… I forgot," I whispered. "Maybe I was scared… scared of the dark…"
And then—
"Amai dik?"
Was it real?
That voice.
Not in my head. Not from memory.
It was right beside me.
My breath stopped.
That voice whispered in my ear—soft, sharp. Far too familiar.
My body tensed. My hand slipped from Father's.
The wrist—the one with the scar—started to burn. It itched.
I scratched it with my nails.
"Manchal Amai ia. Nakal sungguh kamu, iya."
"Such a naughty little liar, aren't you?"
"Enda manah bula, parai dik legi—kekeke."
"Lying is bad, you know. You could die—kekeke."
I pressed my hands against my ears.
"Kekekekekeke."
That laugh again.
I wanted it gone.
But it never left.
I glanced at Father—he didn't hear it.
He only looked at me. Confused. Worried.
Why couldn't he hear it?
It was right here.
Right behind me.
My lips trembled. I turned, pretending not to be afraid.
Then I felt it again—Father—grabbing my hand, stopping me.
He followed my gaze, peering down the hallway into the shadows.
But there was nothing there.
Nothing he could see.
Still, something changed in his face.
His jaw tightened. His eyes sharpened.
He felt it too, didn't he?
The cold air.
The slight tremble in the floor.
The whisper inside the silence.
Father didn't say a word. But I saw it—he believed me.
Or at least… believed that something was wrong.
We kept walking. His steps slower. More cautious now.
As if ready for something to leap from the shadows.
I didn't look at him. I kept my eyes forward.
But my heart… ached.
Because this was the closest he had ever stood by my side—not just physically, but truly.
And even now, the creature down there was still laughing.
It would never stop.
Because it was always there.
And I was always the only one who could hear it.
"Eli." His voice was rougher now. Father cupped both my ears with his hands.
My body stiffened. He called my name again, but I kept staring into the same direction, refusing to move.
When he removed one hand from my ear, he gently touched my cheek.
My lips trembled.
My voice wouldn't come, even though I tried with all my strength.
I didn't know what kind of expression I was making—but it made him look at me like that.
Did I look that terrible?
"Father…" I closed my eyes.
"My son, I don't think today is a good day to go hunting with your uncle. You're not well."
He must have noticed something was off.
Without hesitation, he picked me up and carried me away from the place we had just stood.
"But he'll be leaving soon… You always send him on missions."
"Do you not like me? You spend more time with your uncle and your mother. Don't you know your father feels lonely being treated that way?"
Ever since Lukas dismissed Eliot's talk of nightmares, the young prince had been growing distant from him.
He didn't understand why his only child was avoiding him so much.
Had the boy really leapt into the future and seen something there?
Had he done something to hurt his son in that world?
According to the seer, anyone who knew the prince's true birth…
She couldn't predict whether the boy was lying or not.
But judging from his mother's bloodline, there was a strong chance he was telling the truth.
The problem was, Eliot couldn't—and wouldn't—remember what he saw in those dreams.
Maybe it wasn't just his body or mind that had leapt… but into something no one from the past was meant to witness.
Thalia hadn't ruled out the possibility either.
She said there was always a price for everything.
And yes, I'd heard it from my own father—our bloodline on one side possessed that ability.
Unfortunately, I didn't inherit it.
And because of that… I couldn't help my own son.
"Are you sure you want to go into the forest with your uncle? It'll be dark soon," he asked again.
"Even if you won't tell me anything, I know something is happening in your life, son. Do you want me to come with you?"
Eliot's eyes gleamed when his father said something so unexpected—almost like he was asking, You know?
"No," he replied curtly.
"Why?"
Lukas demanded an answer.
"Do you love your uncle more than me? That hurts, you know."
"You and Uncle always fight. All the animals will run away because of you."
Lukas laughed and hugged Eliot tighter than usual.
He couldn't lie to himself—everyone knew he was afraid to let Eliot go.
Afraid to lose this small child before him.
This innocent boy who would soon become the target of assassination.
Even if they hadn't officially announced him as heir to the throne…
What if someone from Marcus's forces tried to kill him?
He wouldn't be there to protect the boy.
Could he truly trust Marcus to watch over him?
"I need to tell Clarity about this… and where the hell is that bastard now?"
"Father, put me down. I want to see Uncle," Eliot pointed toward Marcus, who was speaking with Brian—the kitchen staff. They seemed to be talking about food.
"Be careful," Lukas said, gently lowering his son.