Eustass bolted out of the room barefoot, heart pounding like a war drum. The hallway was long, empty, and weirdly quiet. Golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, dusted but dim. The whole place had that rich-but-haunted vibe—like someone had tried to keep it alive, but time was winning the fight.
The mansion was huge. Every corner looked expensive, yet oddly untouched. Like it hadn't been truly lived in for years.
"This doesn't feel right…" he muttered under his breath.
He turned a corner, nearly crashing into a flower vase taller than he was now.
Wait. Taller than me?
He paused again.
Short arms. Short legs. Barely past four feet tall.
He wasn't dreaming. He was a freaking child.
Panic bloomed in his chest.
Behind him, soft footsteps.
"Wait—Kairus!" a woman called out.
He spun around.
The same woman who called him "my little star" back in the room—she stood there in a flowing gown, brown hair cascading over her shoulders, eyes filled with worry.
"Who are you?" he demanded, stepping back. "Where am I? Why am I here?"
She didn't look surprised. Didn't even flinch.
Instead, she smiled softly and pulled him into a hug like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"It's okay," she whispered into his hair. "Your head's just a little messed up after the accident. But you'll be alright, my love. I'm here."
Her voice was warm. Familiar. Too familiar.
But Eustass didn't lean into the hug.
He gently pushed her away, confused and overwhelmed.
"No. No, this… this isn't right."
And then he ran.
Down the hall, past pillars and dusty portraits. His feet slapped against cold marble. He found the front door—massive, wooden, carved like something from a fairytale—and shoved it open.
What he saw outside made him freeze.
Huge trees.
Not just regular ones—towering ancient things, twisted and wild, reaching toward a sky that didn't look quite like the one he remembered.
There were no streets. No gates. No guards.
Just wilderness.
The mansion was sitting in the middle of nowhere.
"What… the hell…" he whispered.
Elizabeth appeared behind him, catching up but keeping a gentle distance.
He didn't look at her this time.
His brain was racing, trying to put the pieces together.
He died. He knew he died. Executed like trash, betrayed by the prince he served.
Now… he was in a kid's body. In a forest mansion. With some woman calling him her son.
He inhaled sharply, trying to ground himself.
"My head's… pretty messed up right now," he finally said, turning to her. "I don't remember anything from the past few days. Or like… anything at all, actually."
He forced a weak smile, trying to act normal—whatever that meant now. "Asking questions might help, right?"
She looked relieved. "Of course, sweetheart. You took quite a fall."
She walked closer and knelt in front of him.
"You were riding a horse—fast. Too fast. You lost control, fell off, and hit your head on a rock. We thought we lost you. You've been asleep for three days."
He stared at her.
A horse accident? That's their explanation?
It was starting to make sense now. Sort of.
They stood in the front garden—if you could even call it that. Moss-covered stones, ivy climbing the cracked walls, and the weirdest silence you'd ever hear in daylight.
Eustass glanced at the woman beside him again. She hadn't taken her eyes off him once.
"…So," he started, voice cautious, "who… am I, exactly?"
Elizabeth smiled warmly. "You're my son, Kairus."
She ran her fingers through his messy hair, as if trying to memorize it. "Ten years old now… ugh, you've gotten so big."
Eustass blinked.
"…Right. And?"
"And…" She beamed. "You are a prince. My prince."
Eustass tilted his head, deadpan. "Ohhh. I see."
Great. A ten-year-old kid living in a haunted forest mansion with his overly soft-spoken mom. Totally normal.
"So uh… why are we the only people here? Like… in this huge house?"
Elizabeth's smile faltered just a little.
"Well… I chose this life for us. Away from the people, away from the noise. For your own safety."
She leaned in and cupped his cheeks gently.
"I didn't want anyone hurting my little prince."
That set off red flags.
He squinted. "Wait—someone wanted to kill me?"
Her hands froze.
"Where did you get that idea?"
"I mean… the way you said it kinda screamed somebody's out to get me."
Elizabeth pulled away, clearing her throat. "Well, no. Not exactly. I just—don't want anyone harming you, okay? That's all."
Yeah. Super convincing.
Before he could question further, she perked up. "Anyway! Since you're awake now… we'll be heading to your father's celebration tomorrow."
"…Celebration?" he echoed.
"Your father's birthday! It's like you woke up just for him." She giggled, clearly trying to keep things light.
Eustass forced a chuckle. "Haha… yeah, guess I missed him so much."
Inside his brain:
God, this is so cringe.
Elizabeth gently took his hand. "Come now, my little star. Let's go inside. You need food in that belly and rest in that head."
Eustass didn't protest. His body did feel like it got drop-kicked by a centaur. Probably because, well… it basically did.
They walked back into the mansion together. The air inside was still cold, still a little too quiet, but it didn't feel as eerie as before. Maybe because now, he wasn't completely alone.
At the long dining table, Elizabeth served him warm soup and some weird bread that tasted oddly sweet. It was… decent.
After eating, she led him back to the same giant room with the velvet bed. She tucked him in like he was five, brushing hair from his forehead.
"Sleep, Kairus," she whispered. "Your body and mind need time to heal. The world can wait."
He stared up at the ceiling as she turned off the lights and quietly left.
His brain was still spinning, but it wasn't in full panic mode anymore. He wasn't Eustass the prince right hand man and and Advisor. Not even the guy who just died—literally.
He was Kairus.
A kid.
Living in the middle of nowhere in a creepy, quiet mansion with a mom who seemed way too soft to be normal.
Weird? Yeah.
Scary? Definitely.
But maybe… just maybe, this was his second chance. A reset button life handed him out of nowhere.
And find the man who is responsible for his death.