In a small, quiet town on the edge of the Deadlands, Sunny walked with purpose toward a modest house tucked between crumbling walls and overgrown shrubs. The wind carried a faint dust of ash from the distant fields, and he kept his eyes scanning both sides of the street, wary of anyone who might be watching.
He entered the house cautiously, shutting the door behind him and pressing his back against it. The room was dim, but familiar, and he carefully set down a small carton he had been carrying. Opening it, he began searching through its contents with practiced precision.
"Where is it?" he muttered to himself, rifling through papers and drawings.
A small exclamation escaped his lips. "Yes… found it."
He carefully opened a little box, revealing a drawing the same one he had seen with the newbie earlier. It wasn't just a lookalike; it was identical, every line and mark perfectly matching. Sunny's heart skipped. Memories stirred at the edge of his mind, images of another place, another time. But the recollection was blurry, like trying to focus on a dream fading at dawn.
He paused, gripping the drawing, lost in thought, when a sudden loud crash shattered the silence. Someone had kicked the door open, the sound reverberating off the walls. Sunny spun around, hastily hiding the little box behind his back.
"Hey, Sunny, what are you doing here?" called Ryan, the prince, stepping into the room, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"Nothing," Sunny replied calmly, tucking the box out of sight. "Just going through some files."
Ryan's gaze sharpened. "What happened in the Ground? Get to the point."
Sunny's voice was crisp. "You know I don't waste words."
Ryan stepped closer, his expression hard. "You know what I hate about you? You don't show me the respect I deserve."
Sunny smirked, letting out a soft laugh.
"You're laughing? Anyway… what did you take from that Raz kid a while ago?" Ryan asked, suspicion thick in his tone. He held out his hands, examining the totem Sunny had retrieved earlier, his eyes keen and piercing. "Do you know what this is? Have you ever seen it before?"
"Nope," Sunny said plainly, keeping his voice steady.
Ryan let out a low exhale. "Hm… you know, we were Raz kids together once. We fought side by side in the Ground until graduation. So reconsider your decisions we need to move ahead of the Viper before it's too late."
"The king already made the decision," Sunny replied evenly.
"No, he just follows your advice, like always," Ryan countered, his voice firm. "He's sick. His symptoms are getting worse by the day. If we do nothing, we're dragging him to his early grave… and the rest of this sector with him."
"I've always protected him, and I always will," Sunny said without hesitation, eyes unwavering.
Ryan nodded solemnly. "Then I leave it up to you. Think carefully, Sunny." With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Sunny alone with the totem and his thoughts.
Meanwhile, in a garden bathed in golden afternoon sunlight, a girl sang softly as she walked among the flowers, her voice drifting on the breeze.
"Jane," a voice called from afar.
Startled, she turned. Standing at the edge of the garden was the king talon himself, his expression unusually gentle. "What a beautiful voice you have," he said.
She smiled shyly and walked toward him. Their hands met briefly, a fleeting connection.
From the balcony above, Ryan watched silently, his gaze fixed on his mother, Lola, as she observed her husband flirting with another woman.
"It must be very hard for you to bear this, Mom," Ryan said softly, his voice tinged with pity.
"Your father is a king. He can do whatever he wants. No one is going to stop him," Lola replied, her tone calm but firm.
"I know it hurts, Mother. There's no need to lie about it. I know the feeling too when someone you love is being taken from you," Ryan said, eyes glistening as if he might cry at any moment.
"No matter the situation, he will always need someone, Ryan. That's something I know… and he knows too," Lola replied with quiet confidence.
"I have to go now, Mom. Take care of yourself," Ryan said, bowing slightly as he prepared to leave the balcony.
"Take care of yourself, too," Lola said, feeling the gentle breeze sweep past. She reached down, her fingers closing around an ant, squeezing it to death with a small, absent-minded motion, her eyes unfocused yet calculating, as though she measured everything life and death alike.