Elena was walking forward—her footsteps echoing with such strength that it felt like no one could stop her. But she wasn't alone. In her grasp was none other than Mr. Lionheart himself.
She stormed into the royal court and threw him to the ground in front of Lord Victoria. Bowing respectfully, she said:
"Lord Victoria, this man was about to bring a terrible disgrace upon your name. But I caught him—and brought him straight to you."
Lord Victoria looked down at the bloodied and trembling Mr. Lionheart and said in a calm, grave tone:
"I never thought Lionheart could stoop to such things… but I should've known better. Elena, I trust you—and you've done a remarkable job, bringing my traitor right to me."
But then he added, curiously:
"Though as far as I remember, you were supposed to be with Luna right now, weren't you? So, what are you doing here?"
Elena replied calmly, without flinching:
"My lord, I am here on a mission for Miss Luna. The task will likely take me a year… perhaps longer. That's why I humbly request permission—to step away from my duties as your knight temporarily."
Lord Victoria looked surprised. Never in his life had he imagined someone as loyal as Elena would ask to step away from her sworn service.
He asked gently:
"Why would you want to do such a thing?"
Elena's eyes softened, but her voice remained strong:
"Because ever since I was a child, my dream has been to protect every soul in the place I grew up in. My father always taught me—'If you give up your life for the happiness of others, then you've lived the life of a true warrior.'
I want to walk that path, my lord.
And here, in our village, there is someone—alive, yet unaware of the meaning of life. I want to teach him what that means."
Lord Victoria chuckled softly, but with warmth in his eyes:
"And for just that… you need so many days away from your duty?"
Elena remained silent.
And in her silence, Lord Victoria understood everything.
He nodded and smiled.
"You have always been one of my most faithful knights, Elena.
For this wish—your request is granted."
Elena stood tall before Lord Victoria and bowed deeply.
"Lord Victoria, thank you… truly. And once my small mission is complete, I will be ready to lay down even my life in your service. But for now… I am no longer your knight."
Lord Victoria, curious and a little stunned, leaned forward and said:
"Just tell me one thing, Elena… why are you willing to go to such lengths for something so small?"
Elena paused. Her voice came out calm, but layered with years of pain and resolve.
"Because… that boy has never known what it means to have a childhood.
He has never known love.
From everything I've heard… he has never truly belonged to anyone.
So I will be the one who finds him, who gives him the reason to live—
and maybe, one day, make him into a great warrior.
Perhaps even one of yours, my Lord."
Lord Victoria didn't respond for a moment. Then simply nodded.
"You may go."
We shift now to a small wooden cottage, barely enough for three people.
In a dark corner, the boy lay still—his eyes void of life.
He neither moved nor spoke, simply existed, like a ghost with a beating heart.
Suddenly, the wooden door creaked open. Elena entered.
She looked straight at him and said:
"So… you haven't eaten this either?"
The boy remained silent, unmoved, uninterested.
As if words had lost their meaning long ago.
Elena walked closer.
"I've heard everything about you. So don't think you can hide anything from me.
If you still believe you're alone in this world… or that you're some burden…
You're wrong."
The boy gave no reply.
So, Elena slowly removed her armor, set it aside, rolled up her sleeves, and said:
"Alright then… let's make dinner."
As she began cooking, a rich aroma filled the room, warm and inviting.
It wasn't just food—it smelled like comfort.
The scent crept toward the boy, tickling his senses.
He didn't move… but his head turned—just slightly—toward her.
Not because he needed help…
But because even a seven-year-old can only resist hunger for so long.
Elena laid out the dishes—so many of them it looked like a royal feast.
She turned toward him with a grin.
"Hey… come on. I know you're hungry."
He only stared.
So she picked up her spoon, took the first bite, and dramatically exclaimed:
"Mmm! This is so good! I think I've been reborn just tasting it!"
That was the breaking point.
The boy, lips dry, eyes barely blinking, moved slowly—toward the table.
He sat across from her. Quietly. Cautiously.
Then he reached for the spoon… took his first bite…
And in the next moment, he was eating like a child who hadn't tasted food in years.
Because he hadn't.
Elena watched him closely—not with pity, but admiration.
"I've never seen a child carry this much pain… and yet be this quiet."
"There's something in him. So much potential… and it would be a tragedy…
if that light was snuffed out by the cruelty of the world before it even had a chance to shine."
A little while later, after both of them had filled their stomachs with food, elena looked over at the boy and gently asked,
"So... what's your name?"
The boy didn't respond.
Elena raised an eyebrow playfully.
"Hey, did you not hear me? I'm asking—what's your name?"
This time, the boy quietly murmured, almost in a whisper,
"I… I don't have a name."
That made elena pause for a second. A boy—seven years old—and no name? It tugged at her heart, but she didn't show it. Instead, she smiled brightly, with a spark of warmth in her eyes.
"Well then," she said, clapping her hands softly, "looks like it's time we fix that! You can't just walk around without a name. It's settled—we're naming you today."
The boy blinked, a little startled.
Elena leaned closer and said gently, "From now on, we'll call you Cael. It means sky—or heavenly—in an old language. What do you think?"
The boy's eyes widened just a bit. No one had ever tried to name him before—most people didn't even speak to him properly. And yet, here she was, giving him something so simple… but so meaningful.
He looked down for a second, almost unsure. Then, very softly, as if trying the name out on his tongue, he whispered,
"Cael… my name is Cael."
After some time, both of them drifted off to sleep peacefully.
But in the middle of the night, Cael woke up. Sleep had abandoned him again. Quietly, he slipped out of the small wooden house and made his way to the old tree—the same one he used to sleep under, back when he had nowhere else to go. He sat there silently, his knees hugged close to his chest.
What Cael didn't know was that elena had woken up too. She had noticed him leaving but didn't say anything. Instead, she quietly followed him from a distance, watching as he sat alone beneath the tree.
She thought to herself, This boy… he still doesn't understand his own worth. He's still lost in the shadows of his past.
As she hid nearby, Cael slowly began to speak to himself. His voice was soft and full of weight.
"My life… it's always been broken. Maybe it always will be. Only a few people ever spoke kindly to me, treated me like I mattered. You were one of them… Luna."
"I wish I could talk to you again. Tell you everything that's happened. But… I guess I'm just a fool. You're not even here…"
He paused and shook his head at himself. "Stupid, right?"
Alina had heard it all. She stepped out of the shadows and quietly walked toward him. Gently, she placed her hand on his head and said with calm warmth,
"So… you're still holding on because of someone. That's why you're still alive."
Startled, Cael looked up. "What do you mean?"
"You were talking in your sleep," she said with a soft smile. "You mentioned someone named Luna. You wanted to share your story with her… didn't you?"
Cael looked down, a bit embarrassed. "Yeah… but Luna… she's different. She's someone else. She doesn't belong in my story."
Elena shook her head gently. "No, Cael. Life… life is made of the people we choose to care about. If someone makes you feel like living, then they are a part of your story—whether you understand it yet or not."
He looked at her in surprise.
Before he could say anything else, elena knelt beside him and suddenly pulled him into a warm, tight hug.
It took Cael a moment to react—but then he let himself melt into that embrace. No one had ever held him like that before. No one had ever made him feel safe like this.
And then… something strange happened. His eyes began to well up, and slowly, tears rolled down his cheeks.
For the first time, Cael wasn't crying because he was hurt. He was crying because—just maybe—he didn't feel alone anymore.
And just maybe… life was finally beginning to change.