Darian didn't know what to do.
He stood there, unmoving, as if his body had forgotten how. His mother lay on the ground in front of him, eyes open, seeing nothing. The air still smelled wrong—burned, sharp, unfamiliar.
Vesper was gone.
Gone.
Darian turned slowly.
The man who had done this sat a short distance away, one knee bent, one hand braced against the ground. Kaiden wasn't looking at the body. He was staring at nothing at all, his expression hollow, as if the world had ended a moment too late for him.
Something inside Darian snapped.
He stepped forward and swung.
THUMP.
His fist connected with Kaiden's face. The impact hurt him more than it hurt Kaiden.
Kaiden's head turned slightly with the blow.
He didn't retaliate.
He didn't even look angry.
THUMP.
Darian hit him again, weaker this time, his arms already trembling.
"You did this," Darian said hoarsely. "You killed her."
Kaiden finally looked at him.
There was no fury in his eyes.
Only pity.
It made Darian want to scream.
Kaiden reached out, slow, careful, as if approaching something fragile. His hand rested on Darian's head.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
The words landed wrong. Too small. Too late.
Darian tried to pull away, but his strength was gone. His knees buckled. Darkness crept in from the edges of his vision.
As he slipped, he felt Kaiden's hand steady him.
"I'm sorry," Kaiden said again, softer. "But you cannot live if you remember this."
Sleep took him.
A carriage waited beyond the ruined ground.
Four horses stood still, unnaturally calm.
Kaiden stepped inside, Darian limp in his arms.
The door closed.
The world folded.
The carriage reappeared before a vast castle, its walls stretching farther than a normal person's eyes could ever have followed.
Kaiden stepped down, carrying the boy.
Gravel crunched beneath his boots as he walked the long path inward.
"Welcome back, Your Highness," a man said, bowing deeply. He wore dark formal attire.
He gestured subtly toward Darian.
Kaiden hesitated for half a second.
Then he handed the boy over.
"The Empress requests your presence," the man said carefully.
Kaiden didn't look back.
"I know why," he replied.
He paused.
"Tell her I am ready for the marriage."
The man bowed again.
And the gates began to close.
.....
Huff.Huff.
Darian jolted awake.
His chest heaved as if he'd been running. His head throbbed—deep, dull pressure, like something had been pressed too tightly inside and only just released.
"Ah—" he groaned, clutching his temples. "God… that hurts."
He tried to sit up.
His legs gave out immediately, and he slipped off the edge of the bed.
"Ouch."
The floor was cold. Solid. Real.
He stayed there for a moment, breathing hard, waiting for the pain to explode again.
It didn't.
Slowly, the pressure eased, leaving behind a hollow ache.
"…What's happening?" he muttered.
When he finally looked up, the room made no sense.
The ceiling was high, carved with intricate patterns. Heavy curtains framed tall windows, letting in pale morning light. Everything—everything—looked expensive. Polished. Untouched.
He looked down at himself.
Clean clothes. Soft fabric. Not a single tear or stain.
That felt wrong.
His body felt heavy, like he'd slept too long. His mind felt… empty.
I'm Darian, he thought automatically. I'm fourteen.
That much came easily.
But right behind it was a tight, sickening pull.
I'm forgetting something.
Something important.
Very important.
He tried to grab the thought, but it slipped away the moment he focused on it. Faces blurred. Sounds cut off mid-echo. The harder he tried, the worse his head felt.
Footsteps approached outside the door.
Step.Step.
His shoulders tensed.
"Is he awake now?" a voice said, sharp with impatience. "I've been waiting forever."
The door opened.
A girl stood there, maybe seventeen, dressed in a neat maid's uniform. She froze when she saw him on the floor.
Her eyes widened.
"You're—" she started, then stopped. "You're awake."
Before he could respond, another maid appeared behind her.
"Call His Highness," the first girl said quickly. "Tell him the young master has woken up."
The second maid didn't question it. She turned and hurried away.
Darian frowned. Young master?
The first maid stepped closer, concern written plainly across her face. "Careful," she said, gently helping him back onto the bed. "You shouldn't be moving yet."
"I…" Darian paused. His tongue felt slow. "Where am I?"
She hesitated. Just for a moment too long.
"No harm can reach you here, you are safe." she said instead.
That answer didn't help.
A few minutes passed. Maybe more. Time felt strange—stretching and shrinking without warning.
Then the door opened again.
The man stepped inside.
Darian felt it immediately.
Recognition—without memory.
His stomach tightened.
Kaiden.
He knew the name.
"How are you feeling?" Kaiden asked calmly.
"Fine," Darian replied.
The word came out automatically.
Kaiden studied him for a long second, then nodded. "You went through something… unpleasant," he said. "It cost you some memories. That happens."
He took a step closer.
"But you're safe now. You're here."
Kaiden opened his arms.
"Come," he said softly. "My child."
Darian's body moved before his mind caught up.
He stepped forward and let himself be pulled into the embrace.
The moment it happened, his skin crawled.
Disgust rose in his throat, sharp and sudden, with no clear reason behind it. His muscles stiffened.
Kaiden held him anyway.
Darian stared past his shoulder, eyes unfocused, heart pounding.
Why do I hate this? he thought desperately.
He didn't know.
And that frightened him more than anything else.