The nights dragged on in the kingdom of Luin. The palace was silent, as if time had stopped within its walls since Saruto's fall. His face was pale, his breath barely audible, as if he were suspended between life and death. Heavy curtains blocked the sunlight, and the air inside the room was thick with the scent of medicinal herbs and anxiety.
One night, Star trudged down the long corridors, her midnight-blue gown trailing a faint shimmer behind her. Guards and servants tried to stop her, but her tears and trembling words were stronger than any royal command. "Let me… please, I just want to see him!"
She pushed past them with difficulty, shoving open the door to the room. It creaked open with a faint sound that made her heart tremble. The air inside was heavy, painfully still. And there, in the center of the room, on the white bed, lay Saruto, his cold face etched with the stillness of a statue of grief.
She approached slowly, afraid that if she touched him he would vanish, and sat beside him, gazing at his familiar features. Her trembling fingers brushed his hair, and her hoarse voice barely escaped her breath: "What have they done to you, Saruto...?"
Tears streamed down her face, falling onto his cold hand. Then she threw herself against his chest, hugging him tightly as if trying to prevent him from disappearing any further. "Please... wake up, don't leave me alone in this cruel world..."
Her words came from a broken heart, speaking not to his body but to his soul. At that moment, by the door, Ethan stood silently, his eyes reflecting a mixture of sorrow and pride. He approached her and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, saying in a deep, warm voice, "He heard you... even if he hasn't answered yet."
Then he went to the bed, placed his hand on Saruto's head, and closed his eyes for a moment. He spoke softly, as if addressing him from afar, "Come on, Saruto… everyone is waiting for you. Star, Lucien, your family… they're all waiting for you to return."
But there was no reply. Only silence.
Days passed… then weeks… then three heavy months.
Every day, Star would return, sit beside him, and tell him everything as if he could hear her: about the kingdom, about the heavens, about the days they had trained together. Lucien would come too, sit silently beside him, not speaking, just looking at his friend who no longer opened his eyes. Even the other heirs, Kyle, Ryan, and Selena, took turns visiting him, each carrying a glimmer of hope.
Camellia hid in her quarters, watching from afar, her eyes brimming with tears and regret. She couldn't face him after what had happened, nor could she face herself. Every time she was about to leave, she would stop midway, the fear of his gaze breaking her if he were to wake up.
One quiet night, as rain fell against the palace windows, Ethan entered the room again. He sat beside Saruto's bed, sighed deeply, and placed his hand on his forehead.
In an instant, his consciousness drifted into the realm of darkness, that endless place where Saruto was trapped between memory and regret.
The scene was the same: darkness filling the horizon, and Saruto sitting on the floor, replaying the same image of the palace hundreds of times.
Foyed sat a few steps away, silently observing him for weeks within this deadened consciousness.
Ethan appeared quietly, standing behind them, and said in a voice that was a mixture of tenderness and firmness, "As usual… nothing new."
Foyed looked up at him. "I tried so hard," he said, "but he's completely closed his heart."
Ethan approached Saruto, looking at him without reply, his eyes lifeless, his voice faint. "Everyone is worried about you… how long will you stay here? Will you leave those who love you to drown in waiting?"
But Saruto remained silent, and the darkness around him grew heavier, as if his words hadn't penetrated anything. Ethan moved closer, placed a hand on his shoulder, and said in a stronger tone, "You fell once, but falling isn't the end. You carry Luin's blood. Don't give up like this."
Suddenly, Saruto's body shuddered, and he cried out in a hoarse, angry voice, "Leave me alone! I don't want to see anyone! I don't want to go back to that world!"
With the cry, a wave of black energy erupted from him, forcefully pushing Ethan away, forcing him to regain consciousness.
Ethan opened his eyes again in the hospital room, panting, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. He sat on the chair by the bed and looked at the sleeping Saruto. He whispered softly to himself, panting, "Stubborn as ever… but this time, I won't let him sink any further."
Then he looked at Saruto's still body, his eyes gleaming with a mysterious determination. "Only one choice remains," he said. "It must succeed, or he will never return."
He left the room with steady steps, leaving behind a cool breeze and the echo of his cryptic words, which heralded the beginning of a new chapter in the destiny of the Dark Heir.