"I need to leave now," I said, the words coming out rushed and panicked.
"Wait, wait..what happened?" I caught myself, realizing how frantic I sounded.
My mind was racing. "This whole thing... it doesn't look right. Anyone could get the wrong idea about me being here," I muttered, glancing at the guy who claimed to be a prince. He just stood there, silent. "And him he says he's a prince, but they've got him locked up in here. So why? Why would they lock up a prince? If someone finds me here with him, they're gonna think the worst."
"I really need to get out of here," I said again, more firmly this time.
After I said that, his face completely changed. That warm, welcoming expression from before just... died. His smile disappeared, and he looked crushed.
"I understand what you're thinking, but can..." His voice cracked, and I could hear it shaking. It wasn't just words anymore there was a whole mess of emotions pouring out through his broken voice. "Can... you stay for just a bit?"
But honestly? I didn't really get what he was feeling. Those were just words to me.
I watched him closely and could see the sadness in his eyes. "I can't explain it to you," he whispered, almost like he was talking to himself. His voice sounded broken, like someone who'd been carrying something heavy for way too long but didn't know how to let it go.
The vulnerability caught me off guard. I stood there for a few moments, not knowing what to say. There was something in his voice like he desperately wanted to connect with someone, but he was completely isolated at the same time. It felt like he'd been locked away in this room, both physically and emotionally, for years. My mind was spinning, but the silence between us just hung there, heavy with questions neither of us knew how to ask.
"Can we just talk for a while?" he asked, and his voice was almost begging.
"I could get killed if anyone sees me!" I snapped. "They'll misunderstand everything. I'm in serious danger if they find out I'm here. Do you get that?"
He nodded slowly, his eyes full of concern. "I understand, but... still. I don't want there to be any misunderstanding."
I sighed and rubbed my temples. This was getting complicated. "Fine," I muttered, feeling the weight of the moment. "But can we at least tell each other our names?"
There was a long silence before he spoke softly. "I'm Ray."
I nodded, feeling strangely calm all of a sudden. "I'm Rudra."
Ray looked at me with this mix of curiosity and worry. "So... how are you planning to leave this place? You're locked in here too now."
I grinned, probably looking a little crazy. "I'll just jump out the window. What's the worst that could happen?"
Ray blinked like I'd just said something completely insane. "Jump out the window? Are you out of your mind? You'll fall at least three hundred feet."
I looked over at the window. The idea of escaping this room was tempting, even if it was stupid. "I'll make it work," I said, determination filling my voice.
Before Ray could say anything else, I turned and, without thinking twice, leaped out the window.
The cold air hit me like a slap across the face, snapping me back to reality. As I tumbled through the air, my heart was pounding so hard I thought it might explode. *This is insane,* I thought. *What the hell am I doing?*
Every second that passed, the ground got closer and closer. My hands were flailing around as I tried to steady myself. *Is this it?* I thought. *Is this really how I'm gonna die?*
Then I realized something that made my blood run cold. That spell I'd read about—the one that was supposed to activate when I was in danger it wasn't working. Why isn't it kicking in? I wondered. My body felt warmer as the ground rushed up to meet me, and the air around me seemed to vibrate. Where the hell is the spell? Panic started taking over. But just as I was about to become a pancake on the ground, this surge of energy wrapped around me. The spell had finally activated. Energy surrounded me, but it felt... weird. Different than I expected.
My mind was going crazy. The spell was supposed to protect me, but it didn't feel like it was actually working. I could sense something some kind of force but it wasn't the safety net I'd been counting on. As the ground got closer and closer, I squeezed my eyes shut, ready for impact.
That's when I heard his voice cutting through the air.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Ray's voice somehow reached me. I slowly opened my eyes, only to find myself hovering just inches above the ground but I was back inside Ray's room again.
"What... how did you do that?" He gasped, completely stunned by this sudden twist.
"You again..." I said, my voice cold but soft at the same time. "It seems like this is where I belong, huh?"