"Bruno, I know I'm late, but it's my... no, he won't care," Leo muttered under his breath, practicing his excuse. "It's my dear mother, she's getting on in age... no, he'll just laugh at that. Maybe I should just apologize and hope for the best."

His shoulders sank further as he rounded the corner and spotted Bruno's menacing dark eyes glaring at him from beneath thick brows that nearly touched. Bruno wasn't tall, but his wide, muscled frame made him an intimidating figure. Hair sprung from every visible part of him—his ears, arms, chest, and even from beneath the collar of his tunic. The townspeople whispered that he was more beast than man, and the village children had dubbed him "Grisly Grumpous." Leo groaned at the thought.

"You're late! I give you imps a chance and coins, and it goes unappreciated!" Bruno's voice roared before Leo even had the chance to cross the threshold. His brows furrowed into a single line, resembling a thick caterpillar, and his eyes narrowed into two angry, dark, piercing beads.

"Yes, but let me explain—" Leo began slowly, only to be cut off.

Leo tried to step lightly, but his steps still echoed across the blood-streaked floor. He nearly gagged as the smell of blood mixed with sweat ran up his nostrils as he picked up the buckets. He shuddered at the touch of the handles, still sticky from the morning's work.

"Take the buckets of blood and offal out back and throw them into the trough. Your coins will be light, boy!" Bruno growled, his voice cutting Leo to the core.

"Great, another lousy birthday. Up to my armpits in guts," Leo sighed, knowing he had no options. He grabbed the heavy buckets filled with discarded innards and trudged out back, the foul smell turning his stomach more with each step. The weight of the buckets echoed the heaviness in his chest.

He emptied the contents into the pit Bruno had dug and poured the blood into the trough that drained into a nearby stream. He had secretly hoped things could be different today of all days.

As he rinsed the buckets in the stream, he looked down at his blood-stained arms and hands. His birthmark stood out against his skin, faintly glowing as though reacting to the blood on his arms. Leo frowned and rubbed at the stain with more force.

"Another lousy birthday. But what else did I expect?" Leo muttered, crouching to wash his hands. The water of the stream was a small relief, soothing the tension in his body and cooling the slight warmth on his wrist.

He tapped the water sending out ripples in the water. It shimmered under the sunlight, and for a moment, Leo thought he saw a dragon's eye stare and blink back at him. Startled, he splashed the water and stared again at the rippling surface. The eye had vanished.

He shook his head, trying to clear the strange vision, but before he could try to make sense of it, familiar mocking voices broke the quiet.

"You've found the right job, pig prince!"

Leo stiffened. He knew that voice all too well. Eli Ledwin, the town bully and son of the royal steward, stood a few feet away with his constant companions—Finella and Merrick.

Leo tightened his grip around the bucket handles. Eli had tormented him for years, and it seemed unending. The thing Eli relished most was embarrassing Leo in a crowd. At the last summer solstice festival, Eli had tripped him as he tried to juggle balls for money.

Being the son of Thorne Ledwin, the royal steward, gave Eli power over the other kids in Dragons Gate. He was always showing off his position, making fun of anyone who didn't have his privileges.

"Yeah, pig prince!" Finella chimed in, her red bulbous nose wrinkling in disgust as she pointed to the blood on Leo's arms. Merrick snickered, standing a step behind Eli as always.

Leo glared at them, his muscles tightening. "Walk away now, Eli."

Eli smirked, his dark, long hair gleaming in the sunlight. "Why should I? What are you gonna do about it, pig prince? Where's your little pig princess? I bet she's wallowing in nasty blood, too, just like you."

The mention of Emelina sent a surge of anger through Leo, his fists clenching. She may have been the only person to ever believe in him. To Leo, she was a princess, and Eli's disrespectful words made his blood boil. Before he could stop himself, he lunged at Eli, but Eli sidestepped him easily and shoved Leo into the mud at the river's edge.

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"Back where you belong, pig prince!" Eli taunted, laughing with Finella and Merrick.

Leo pushed himself up, mud dripping from his hands, his birthmark glowing hot beneath the layer of dirt. His heart raced as anger boiled in his veins.

"I wish, I wish…" he whispered through clenched teeth, wishing he could do something—anything—to stop them.

As he stood there, Leo's eyes caught sight of the golden, red, and orange leaves falling from the trees, swirling in the breeze. It was almost time for the Fall Festival. The festival was one of the few bright spots in the village's year, a time when even his family, poor as they were, could forget their troubles and enjoy the feast, the dances, and the games. Everyone, from the king's court to the farmers, joined in the celebration. For Leo, the festival was bittersweet. He loved the colors, the music, and the magic, but the shadow of his father's absence and the whispered rumors about his family often weighed him down.

This year, however, felt different. The air was thick with changes larger than just the change in seasons. With the unease in the village and after the strange happenings with the floating flowers the night before, Leo could not shake the feeling that this festival would be unlike any other. The Fall Festival was supposed to be a time of renewal and balance, but Leo could sense the beginning of something dark and ominous approaching.

Before he could finish his thoughts, as if in response, a sudden gust of wind whipped through the clearing. It was strange—Leo noticed the wind only seemed to touch Eli, Finella, and Merrick. The tree branches began to gyrate and bend unnaturally, and the water in the river surged. The force of the wind knocked the trio off their feet, sending them tumbling into the mud.

"What was that?" Merrick shouted, his face pale as he scrambled to stand.

"Yuck, I'm covered in dirt!" Finella whined, trying to brush off her clothes.

Eli's face turned red with fury. He pointed a shaking finger at Leo. "This was your doing!" he spat.

Could that have come from me? Leo gripped his wrist and the heated birthmark. "That can't be," he whispered.

Before things could escalate, the sound of hooves approached. A knight in full armor rode up the path, his silver helmet gleaming in the sunlight.

"You kids, clear out! The king is coming into the village today, and the last thing he needs is to see filthy imps like you causing trouble," the Knight barked, his voice deep and commanding.

"But—" Eli started, but the Knight cut him off with a glare.

"I said move!" the Knight snapped. Eli, Finella, and Merrick scrambled to their feet and hurried away, throwing hateful glances at Leo as they went.

Leo watched them leave, the adrenaline still pumping through his body. He turned to the Knight, who was still sitting atop his horse, watching him with an unreadable expression.

"Don't mind them, lad. Bullies rarely win in the end," the Knight said, his voice softer now.

Leo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Doesn't feel that way."

The Knight's eyes softened behind the visor. "You'll understand someday, young Leo. You have a greater path ahead of you. Your true strength and path will soon appear as the leaves fall and the stars burn bright. Hold fast, Leo. Your time is imminent."

Do I know you? Leo could barely make out the Knight's face, but he felt a sense of familiarity.

Leo blinked in surprise. "How do you know my name?" he asked, turning to face the Knight fully. But when he looked up, the Knight was gone. The clearing was empty, save for the wind rustling the autumn leaves.

Leo's heart raced as he scanned the landscape. Where had the Knight gone so quickly? And how had he known his name? His birthmark throbbed beneath his skin, a faint warmth spreading through his wrist. Something strange was happening, something bigger than he could understand.

He shook his head, trying to clear the confusion. The sight of the leaves twirling in the breeze brought to mind the Fall Festival and the coming preparations for the cold winter months ahead. But for Leo, it was just another reminder of his dreaded work at the butcher's shop, where Bruno would undoubtedly have him chopping meat for hours on end.

He picked up the clean buckets and sighed, turning back toward the shop. The thought of returning to Bruno's scowl and the smell of blood made his stomach churn once again, but there was no avoiding it.

As he turned to stomp back, something caught his eye—a faint, blinking light moving quickly across the other side of the stream. He blinked, unsure if he was imagining it, but the light flickered again, calling to him. His birthmark tingled.

His curiosity was peeked. He glanced back toward the butcher shop, then toward the light that was bouncing across the field. He groaned and decided to investigate, quickly crossing the stream. The light kept moving and flickering, leading him deeper into the woods. As he ventured farther from the market, the trees and foliage grew denser, and the world around him seemed to shift.

The air was thick, charged with an energy that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. It reminded him of the clearing he had taken Eme to earlier that day. The usual sounds of the forest—rustling leaves, chirping birds—faded away, replaced by a strange, low hum. It felt as though a thousand eyes were watching him from the flowers, the trees, and the animals.

Leo's heart pounded in his chest. With every step, his birthmark warmed, pulsing in rhythm with the hum of the forest. He could feel in his heart—this wasn't just some ordinary flicker of light; it was something... more.

The light led him to a small clearing, where it hovered for a moment just above a pile of leaves. Leo stared in astonishment, his breath catching in his throat. The leaves glowed faintly, pulsing with the same energy that burned beneath his skin.

Leo decided to move towards the pile of leaves and for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath alongside him.

The light dropped down, and then the pile stirred.