JUSTIN'S POINT OF VIEW
Boring. That's the only word that could describe this place right now. I knew I'd have a pile of things to catch up on once I returned to the aleid.
The royal family was gone-out on a family bonding trip. A part of me couldn't help but feel envious when I overheard their plans. How could I not? To this day, I still wished I knew what it was like to be surrounded by a parents' love.
I yawned as I strolled down the hallway, planning to head toward the training area to break a sweat. But I froze in my tracks when I caught sight of Dylan.
Tyler was nowhere on his shoulder—odd enough—but what really drew my attention was the small red container he carried.
I trailed after him silently. It was unusual for Dylan to be without his pracien, even more unusual to see him walk past palace workers and officials without flashing his signature smile.
A thrill ran down my spine. What on earth is he up to?
When he finally pushed open the door to the farthest storage room and flicked on the light, I almost gagged. My muscles went rigid and my heartbeat thundered in my chest.
I knew this room, but never—not once—had I dared to enter it. Now, I understood why fate had spared me until today. The place was crammed with cages. And inside them? Frogs. All kinds of frogs. Dozens upon dozens of them. And Dylan... Dylan is the one responsible!
"Care to join me in feeding them, Justin?" he asked, his back still turned to me. I didn't need to see his face to know that infuriating grin was plastered there.
"This was a waste of my time," I muttered, shaking my head as I finally stepped out of hiding. "I thought you were sneaking off somewhere important. But this?"
"Heh, so I disappointed you," he said, glancing back with that same grin.
"I can't believe this. Of all pets—you chose frogs?" My voice cracked slightly as I eyed the writhing cages, trying my best not to let fear show. "And you've got... so many of them."
"Exactly. Want to keep one for yourself?"
DYLAN'S POINT OF VIEW
Justin's face drained of color, and I nearly burst into laughter. If Tyler had been here, he would've burst out already, clutching his stomach from laughing too hard.
"N-no. Thanks," Justin stammered and vanished without another word.
A mnarillaza. A rare kind, at that. Yet he is terrified of frogs. Even little kids could hold frogs without flinching. I couldn't really blame him, though. I knew about his past trauma. Still, resisting the urge to tease him was impossible.
Shaking my head, I stepped deeper into the storage room and locked the door behind me. A smile spread across my face as I looked at my collection.
"I'm back," I whispered to them.
RHEIN'S POINT OF VIEW
Yesterday was filled with joy. And now, reality caught up with me again.
We returned before dawn. I could lie to myself and say I was content with the time we spent together but I wasn't. If only we could stay that happy forever.
Maybe, that's just how life is, right? When the world spins too quickly, you just want time to stop, to hold on to what you currently have. But time never stops. It only goes on forever.
I was drained from the entire week, so Father allowed me to take a whole day off. I gratefully accepted.
By midnight, I was woken up by a voice.
"Rhein."
At first, I thought it was Forelody, but my pracien was nowhere in sight. The voice was deeper, too low to belong to her.
I was alone, and confusion furrowed my brows.
"Rhein."
The third time I heard it, I finally realized it wasn't coming from my surroundings. The voice echoed inside my mind, sharp and clear, as though it were pressed directly against my ears.
'Who are you?' I asked back with my thoughts.
"Rhein."
My frown deepened. Suddenly, my body stiffened. I lost control. My legs began to move on their own, carrying me toward the forest behind the palace.
Panic entered my system. I couldn't even move my mouth to cry for help. When I tried to reach Sister Rona through mind communication, nothing worked. Someone had cast deore mnarills to block mine. The only things left to me were sight, hearing, and touch.
Strangely, I didn't encounter a single guard. Is this one of the intruder's doing too? It has to be. But Father had placed countless barriers and enchantments around the palace. How—?
"Rhein."
Even the back gate was left unguarded, wide open.
Deore mnarills? Justin is a deore mnarillaza. Could this be him? He has free access in and out of the palace—perhaps the barrier did not affect him. But no. He wouldn't dare pull a prank like this. Not now. Not against me, a member of the royal family. He knew better. Dylan, maybe—I could imagine him pulling mischief—but Dylan is a meithi mnarillaza.
If not Justin, then... there is only one other possibility. The deore mnarillaza I had encountered before. Could it be her? But how did she get past the barrier? Mother once said her own sister is a deore mnarillaza. Could it be that she wasn't considered an enemy by the enchantments?
"Rhein."
If it really was her, why? Why bypass the barrier? Why drag me into the forest? Why call for me?
Step by step, the voice grew clearer until the trees opened under the pale moonlight. There—just as I'd feared—stood a figure cloaked in black, exactly as the last time I saw her. Her face was still hidden.
"Rhein."
My body halted, a few meters away from her. I still couldn't move on my own. My mnarill might have countered her, but mine was too weak.
"Rhein."
This time, her voice struck deeper, and an excruciating pain shot through my head. My vision blurred. I screamed but no sound reached my ears. I couldn't hear myself at all.
The next thing I knew, I was lying flat on the grass. Pain and exhaustion coursed through me. My eyelids grew unbearably heavy. No matter how much I fought it, sleep pulled me under.
And I let it.