"What's your name, sweetie?" Her voice had that soft kindness that mothers have.
My smile came back, bright and easy. "I'm Rudra."
The king looked us over and gave a short order: "Sit." I glanced at the chair in front of me this thing was fancier than anything I'd ever seen. At first i hesitated, just standing there like sitting was some foreign concept. But after a second, I moved and sat down.
The queen kept going with her gentle questions. "Rudra, what about your family?"
My smile dropped as silence stretched between us. Then I answered, my voice soft and far away, "Nobody's there," before putting that practiced smile back on. Do I gotta smile after every damn thing I say? I thought, feeling wiped out. This stuff drains the hell out of me.
The queen must've picked up on something in my voice because she stood up and came closer. She patted my head gently a gesture that should've made me want to pull back, but somehow it felt comforting. My eyes fluttered shut at her touch. Ray was watching us, and I could see him getting emotional. He stood up, his voice soft but proud. "Rudra, let me introduce you to our family. This is my mom, Clesera Vertay, Queen of Eryndra, and this is my dad, Draven Vertay, the Lord of Eryndra." He pointed to a young guy and a little girl next to the queen. "This is my big brother, Riven, and my cute little sister, Selene."
Suddenly, this voice piped up from Selene. "Big bro, who is he?" Her question hung there with innocent curiosity.
Ray hesitated, looking at me before answering, "He's gonna be your big brother."
Selene's eyes lit up like fireworks. "Big brother!" she cheered, sounding absolutely thrilled.
Ray smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah, you can play with your three big brothers now."
The queen added with a bright smile, "Yes, yes, you can play with your big brothers now, Selene!"
Then she turned back to me, her voice gentle and curious. "How old are you, Rudra?"
I felt my excitement growing and answered with a smile, "I'm gonna be 9 next month."
The queen looked surprised for a second before saying, "Ray also turned 9 a month ago."
I looked at Ray, my face lighting up with excitement. "You're older than me!" I said, grinning wide.
Ray smiled back, his tone teasing. "I'm gonna be your big brother now."
The queen nodded approvingly, turning to Riven. "Yes, yes, you're gonna be his big brother, right?"
Riven had been staring at me this whole time and finally spoke up, his voice curious. "Hey, Rudra, did you train in martial arts before?"
I smiled, keeping my voice calm but a little playful. "Martial arts? Hah, if I had that luxury, I wouldn't have had to starve for days."
Riven got excited, his eyes lighting up. "Then do you wanna learn martial arts from this big brother?"
I got serious for a moment, pausing. "If I'm gonna learn something," I said slowly, "I'd like to learn the way of the blade."
Riven blinked, looking surprised. "Why the blade?" he asked.
My expression shifted, and I felt my eyes go cold and distant. "It's easier to kill someone with a blade, not with hands," I said, my voice dropping. For a split second, I became way colder, and I could feel everyone at the table notice the shift in the air.
But then I blinked, realizing how deep that came out. My expression softened again, and I spoke quietly, "I'm too weak. I can't even protect myself. How could I protect you guys?"
Riven's eyes went wide with emotion, and he leaned forward. "You wanna protect us?" His voice was shaky, full of raw feeling.
The queen, her heart warming at my words, said softly, "How kind of you, Rudra."
I was almost surprised by their reaction and smiled faintly, thinking, I almost got caught there.
The queen, noticing I seemed uncomfortable, again she asked gently, "What about your family?"
My voice was quiet as I spoke, looking off into the distance. "I was living with my grandfather until I turned 8. One day, he just disappeared... you could say he abandoned me. A few months later, I found him at a bar, drinking. When i tried to talk to him, but instead, he beat me and left again..."
I went quiet, with thse words my words hanging in the air. I'm was laying I thought. I never found him after he vanished
The queen stood up and, with a soft smile, gently took my hand. "Come," she said, leading me toward the high ground where the crowd was waiting.
With a quiet command, the queen announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, listen up this is my third child." She looked at me, a smile forming on her lips. "Greet them, and come to the table."
As whispers started up again, I stood still for a moment before announcing, "I am the third prince of Eryndra... Rudra." The crowd reacted immediately, but I stood there unmoving, feeling the weight of my new title settling heavy on me.
Next to the king, silence stretched as the king turned to Ray. "Why are you so eager to make him part of our family, you know everyone is acting... because of you ?"
Ray's gaze softened as he looked at rudra, and after a long pause, he spoke. "After what happened 2 years ago... I was scared of everyone. The darkness, the nightmares... everything. But for the first time when I met Rudra, something in me changed. He made me feel safe. It's like something was pulling me toward him, and I couldn't ignore it. Even though I don't know him, I feel at ease when he's around. I'll keep him close, no matter what it costs. I don't wanna go back to that nightmare life."
The king's eyes softened, and though he didn't say anything, you could see he cared about his son.
The queen got moved by Ray's words and wiped her eyes, and Riven stepped forward to hug his brother. "I'm here for you, Ray. I'll protect you, even with my life, so just... enjoy your life."
The king then turned to a servant. "Prepare a room for the third prince. Don't screw it up."
After hearing this, I stood up and moved quickly toward the queen. "Do I need permission to sit, even after you've announced me as your kid?" I asked, feeling my cheeks get a little red.
The queen sighed, smiling softly. "I think you need time to get used to this environment."
I sat at the table, and the king finally spoke up. "Let's eat, it's getting late."
The servants rushed to serve the food. The king's voice, warm and concerned, reached me. "Eat well, Rudra. And slowly."
The table fell into comfortable silence as we started eating, the atmosphere a little lighter than before.
Once dinner was over, the king ordered a servant to take me to my room. As I got up, the servant bowed. "This way, your highness."
The queen called after me, "Rest well, Rudra. Go to bed early."
As I was about to leave, Ray's voice called out. "I'll come by your room."
"I'm off, mother," Ray added, before following me.
The servant led me to my new room
a space way more luxurious than anything I'd ever seen. "Is this my room?" I asked, amazed.
"Yes, your highness," the servant replied.
Ray nodded. "It's similar to my room." After a moment, Ray smiled and said, "You must be exhausted after everything. I'll let you rest."
I smiled back, and as Ray turned to leave, I stopped him. "Ray..."
Ray turned around with a soft smile. "What is it?"
My voice was warm, reassuring. "Rest well. Don't think too much and stop letting your mind wander into stuff that hasn't happened yet. If overthinking could change the future, then everyone would be stuck in endless cycles of worry. But it doesn't. It only steals your peace. The energy you waste on things that might never happen is energy you could be using to live the moment you're in. Let go of the what-ifs, and find strength in right now. Today is the only moment that really matters."
Ray's eyes softened. "You speak well, Rudra. I thought you were a cold person."
I smiled faintly. "Just go now."
After Ray left, I lay on the bed, my mind going over everything that happened today. Will my life get easier or harder from here? I wondered, feeling this strange sense of comfort settling over me. It's beautiful, lying down in this bed.
——Somewhere in the world —
In some distant, hidden place, a group of ten figures stood in complete shadow, their forms hard to make out, like they were part of the darkness itself. A hushed voice broke the silence, cutting through the stillness like a whisper in the wind.
"The 21st holder of the seed... he's come out of his cave."
Another voice, deeper and more restrained, responded almost immediately, sounding impatient. "It's not time for that."
A third shadow, a little more eager, pressed on. "What about them them?"
A brief pause hung in the air before the question got answered with quiet, unsettling calm. "Who?"
"The beings from above." The words were spoken like they were known but distant, like they were something long understood but rarely talked about.
The voice from before spoke again, anxiety creeping into the words. "What about them?"
A murmur passed through the group, the tension thick, but it was the voice from the rock that held the most weight. It lingered in the air like a dark omen.
"According to the initial signs, they'll start moving for their lost seeds," the leader said, his tone carrying inevitability.
The others listened in silence, paying close attention.
"You know what that means," the shadow continued, their voice now a soft but knowing threat. "When they move... everything will change."
There was another long silence. The shadows talked about negotiations, about the delicate balance between them and others. But one voice, quieter than the rest, asked the question that had been on everyone's mind: "What do you think, leader?"
The figure on the rock leaned back, his presence commanding the silence as he gazed out, his eyes unseeing in the dark. His answer, when it came, was as cold and final as the night itself.
"The war between humans and them is coming, hah."