Sometimes I blink, and it is in these fleeting moments that my consciousness wanes. The moment brushes past me in a delayed caress. It was a second too long. A time of befuddlement as I was allowed to dip my toes in the rushing river of time.

Lazily had I been scanning the view of the empire before me. The height of my status granted physical form in the elevation of my palace.

"Fourth Prince,"

The sound of ruffling cloth and shifting muscles whispered against my ear. Telling me of the bowing servant behind me.

"What is it?"

I returned their call with a question. A listless droll, stretching each syllable with a groan.

"His Highness, the Emperor, summons you by royal decree."

The tone of this one servant pierced at my tranquility, like a snake slithering in the lawn. Slimy and venomous. I turn my head.

Disdain.

It was a flash of discord. A dissonant note that warped my mood. Sometimes, I wish that they could simply say it outright.

—The Useless Fourth Prince of the Empire.

"I respond to these summons in kind. I shall make my way to the Throne in but a moment."

Saying so many words all at once scratched at my throat. There was no need to indulge in conversation to such a degree.

Yet, it was necessary.

My eyes slowly turned to darkness as the servant left without another word. The bang of the doors to my room was a clear indication of her hostility. I couldn't be bothered by such things any longer. No longer would I throw a tantrum like a child in my rage.

That moment had brushed past me way too fast.

"My name in this life is Astraeu Ka’acva,"

Memories of a life I had once lived had come rushing back to me. Wrenched from Earth in the moment of my death, I had been reborn in this world of Gods. It was only in this moment that my soul had matured enough to bear its weight.

"To have the honour to bear the same name I once did... Haha, the kindness of the heavens is deceptive."

Fate was an aspect of life that no mortal would ever dare to challenge.

Today was my twelfth birthday.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

...

The setting sun shone through the shaking windows. The clamour of my carriage was blaring in the empty streets of the Emperor's Palace. The horses heaved heavy breaths as they brought me uphill. Soon, the shine of emerald, bathing in the light of the golden hour, was all I could see.

I was amused by the merging of my memories. Reeling in this feeling of being granted a new life. Oh, how wonderful it was. I was unbothered by the duress of a dozen hostile stares.

"Fourth Prince,"

Another voice called out to me as I alighted.

"Guide me,"

Simple was my command as I dragged my flowing robes behind me.

Through a spacious corridor we strolled, leisurely, as if no amount of time mattered. My presence was nothing short of being unneeded. I was a mere ornament, there simply to appear, for I had long been dubbed as the [ One With No Future ].

When I was eventually led to a pair of double doors, standing a hundred feet tall, and dozens of feet wide, I was allowed a moment of respite. I waited.

"The Fourth Prince of the Ka'acva Empire, Astraeu!"

The doors clacked open with a thundering boom, and a gust of wind assaulted my hair. With familiarity, I walked in. The softness of my shoes allowed me to glide across the gilded flooring.

Yet, once these eyes of mine adjusted, I was shackled by surprise.

There were four people, standing in the centre of the throne room, baffled as I was just a while ago. They wore clothes of linen and cotton. Artificial garments of chemical balance.

I recognised these clothes.

They were people from Earth.

...

"Astraeu, stand in line."

The first words that fell upon my ears, birthed by the only person I could call my father, was a command. There were no pleasantries. No endearment in his tone. No love in his eyes.

It was revolting.

Yet, I paid it no heed. I stood next to my brothers and sisters, with my eyes tracing the four wary Earthlings at the centre of the room. Now that I was closer, I could see the magic circle that had called upon their existence from a place that could not be any further. Intrigue flashed within the depths of my gaze.

"The Gods have graced us with four Heroes. Let us not waste this opportunity by sowing discord."

My father's voice was deep and full of authority. Despite his casual tone, his gaze was overbearing, making each being in the room shudder.

"I am the Emperor of Ka'acva, and I have summoned you four for the sake of this world's future."

"Kidnappers! What makes you think I will believe all of this? Take us back or I'll call the police!"

The first Earthling spoke, and I held in my cackle at the sound of his breaking voice. The police had no jurisdiction within this realm. That, I had already accepted. Nonetheless, I could understand his position.

Thrust into an unfamiliar place and forced to bow their heads to the powers of Fate. What else would you do other than deny all that was real? The boy seemed no older than sixteen.

"Sir Emperor... may I ask how you've summoned us? And what exactly do you mean by doing such an act for the sake of the future?"

This Earthling had a better grasp on her situation. With a laptop still in hand, I could tell from her mature bearing that she was in college. The stress that showed itself in the bags under eyes were clear indicators.

"It's a long story," The Emperor rubbed his bearded chin as he gazed upon the Earthlings far below him.

The remaining two Earthlings were silent as they watched their surroundings. One stood tall, with his broad shoulders and golden hair giving him a regal vibe that contested the aura of my brothers. His eyes had a strict resolution that I found amusing. The other, stood behind the college girl, quivering from where she stood. She seemed to be about my current age.

"It is also common courtesy to give your own names when another introduces themselves."

My eldest brother spoke from the side. His comment, cutting through the thoughts of my father like a shark in calm waters.

"Are you all, perhaps... savages?"