Waking up at the dead of night I started to feel restless, the lamps were all closed and the occasional chats and bickering of Opheli and Olizia were nowhere to be heard, I have a really bad feeling.

I got up and reached out for a lamp, opening it to slightly brighten my darkened surroundings.

As I get off the bed, remembering that I may get scolded for being out of my room this late at night, I proceeded to make a double of myself by placing a pillow under the blanket and then happily made my way towards the door.

As I get closer, noises and people speaking were heard through that very same door.

It seems that Opheli and Olizia were just outside the room and they soon noticed my presence…

‘Busted…’ as I was getting ready to be scolded and get an earful, they seemed to be more nervous than angry.

“Young Prince is that you? Please stay inside and listen to Opheli alright?” Opheli then nervously said.

“Our young Prince please just this one time listen to us carefully, stay inside your room.” Olizia requested.

They both asked me to stay inside my room… yet, I started to feel weird….

Something was off… Both of them seemed to be leaning against the door as if they are protecting it…I wondered why….

I then took another step forward and hearing my footsteps they both yelled. ““YOUNG PRINCE, PLEASE! stay inside...””

I got startled when both of them yelled in unison but I still chose to get closer to the door, perhaps thinking that I may find out what was going on….

I then started to knock on the door to signal that I was there and that I wanted to ask what was going on. I would've liked to use my voice to call out their names but something tells me that I have to be quiet….

seeing that there was no further response, I then leaned in on the door.

Listening closely, I could hear their breathing.

It was... rough, like they were greedily gasping for air.

I raised my closed fists to try and knock once more but the noises outside made it hard for me to even be heard.

I leaned in to listen again as the huge door that separated us seemed to tremor slightly.

“Young… Prince, please hide… we…” That was Opheli’s voice she seemed to be at the verge of crying.

“Ah… yes these big sisters… want to play hide and seek with you…” Olizia said so in a worried and laughing tone, it somehow felt bitter…

“I will count to 10 alright..? Please hide yourself well… so that… even we, won’t be able to find you”

‘Hide and seek…?’ I soon followed their instructions with a bit of hesitation.

As I hid, I couldn’t help but look towards the door illuminated by the lamp I have left there.

“1, 2...3…..” The counting started but with each number counted, Olizia’s voice began to slowly fade and eventually….

“8…….9………..”

…10 never followed and silence began to swallow the area.

Followed by the crying and a loud shriek, I covered my ears and stared at the door… liquid poured in the room from the gap of the door.

I stopped thinking as the worse could’ve happened.

I didn’t want to think anymore, I tried not to think anymore but the evidences all point out to the same conclusion as the signals at the back of my head kept ringing…. as if to warn me.

Watching as the door slowly opened, two bodies laid limply at the floor. A person wearing all black came into the room, like a hunter scouring its prey.

The person seemed to be looking for something and that something is me.

‘An assassin…’ That was the only answer I could think of, I watched as they approached my bed with quiet footsteps and stabbed the dummy I made, uncannily quiet.

The person seemed surprised that I wasn’t the one they have stabbed, but a pillow.

I watched the assassin’s movements carefully as their mannerisms became etched into my head.

Looking at the person really keenly, I studied their face and their micro movements to know who the one behind the mask was.

Numerous hunches appeared in my head but I honestly hoped they were all wrong as I would end up doubting some of the staff that I have grown quite fond of.

A couple of minutes passed by as the assassin slowly looked carefully at the various furniture lined up in my room, maybe thinking where a little kid like me would possibly hide in.

Suddenly we hear the mirror by the wall falling, a secret passage was seen and there emerged Hodur the chef.

With his big body he tackled the assassin and while he was distracting the assassin another person came out from the passage.

They were so fast that the assassin didn’t notice, I just suddenly saw the person or rather, Selina looking at me from where I was hiding, underneath the cabinet.

She quickly carried me and ran towards the passage way.

As she was carrying me I could only look back at the room that was getting farther away.

I then briefly saw Opheli breaking the lit up lamp and setting the room on fire, while Olizia embraced Opheli as if to protect her.

Hodur continued to stall the assassin but I knew that soon, the assassin would catch up.

We made our way towards the confusing amount of passages when we got out we were at the gardens, I could see the amount of damage that this invasion caused.

The gardens that I love so much are all torn to pieces maybe due to a bloody fight.

I didn’t want to assume the worse but I could see blood almost everywhere.

Urt and Joreh were nowhere in sight, I could still clearly remember the numerous amount of times I played in these gardens.

The multiple designs that Urt made and the numerous arrangements that Joreh did, looking different every season were now unrecognizable as the various plants were destroyed or cut.

Selina didn’t stop running while also being cautious.

I soon noticed that she makes no sound even when she runs in these grassy gardens.

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We then hear clashes of metal as we quickly ran pass those sounds.

Coincidentally as we did, I happened to look towards Selina’s face.

She was choking back tears that seemed to want to come out at any moment and maybe even feeling resentful at the current situation we are in.

Then the expression on Selina’s face suddenly changed, she seemed to looked shocked and the next thing I knew was that I was flying towards a nearby bush.

Getting up, I then witness as Selina got stabbed by multiple daggers and could only watch as she held in the pain.

‘She must’ve thrown me away so that I wouldn’t get stabbed by those….’ Just the thought of being pierced sends me into shivers.

Taking stance, she then began to fight against the assassin that showed themselves.

Even when all those knives are stuck to her she still chose to retaliate.

She moved skillfully but the blood loss was noticeably hindering her that even I could see the slight difference in her posture.

She looked wobbly, her vision is beginning to lose its focus.

Another assassin then appeared after the clashing of metal died down from the background.

The assassin took their chance to come close to Selina and pulled out the daggers one by one, causing her to bleed.

“AHHH!” Selina yelled in agony as the assassin continued to slash various daggers at her body.

It looked like the assassin was having fun while doing so too…. ‘Disgusting psycho.’

Rage filled my body but even that wasn’t enough to stop my legs from shaking…

She managed to take down one but I doubt she could hold on for long.

I then saw something shining beneath my feet, a dagger.

As if cold water had splashed before my head, my shaking ceased and my mind now clear enough for me to conclude the possible action needed to be taken here.

It will be risky but I need to repay my servants maybe now, my family for saving my life by taking on such risks.

I picked the dagger up and smelled it lightly, it seems to be coated in a substance, must be a type of poison like in those clichés… perfect.

Using the skills I have observed from the first assassin I had encountered, I slowly moved behind the assassin that was busy taunting Selina and stabbed their leg.

Making them kneel from the pain, that moment then gave me enough height to pull out the dagger again and stab at the nape.

‘Ah, I killed a person’ I realised that and pulled out the dagger from the nape of the assassin, I then turned towards the weakened Selina now lying on the scorched grass.

I could see her struggling.

Afraid to lose another person, tears dripped from my eyes as my hand grew weak making me drop the dagger I just used to kill an assassin

I then rushed towards her with all my might as I removed my outer night gown, leaving me with only a shirt.

I tried to stop the bleeding using my outer nightgown but it just kept flowing, I couldn’t help but just cry.

“Our dear Prince… good job… so, please… you must run…now!... cough... ugh… More of them… will be coming soon…”

I looked at her and furiously shook my head, I wanted to refuse and say it out loud but the tears made me unable to even utter a babble.

I know the right course of action is to escape and call for back up but I couldn’t leave her.

As I cried, I then heard the rustling of leaves. The other assassins that Selina warned me about must’ve arrived.

I masked my presence again and I killed them one by one using the same tactic.

As my small and weak body grew tired, both mentally and physically I couldn’t keep up anymore.

Their numbers just won’t dwindle.

I let my guard down and one of them managed to spot me, I got slashed but as I was about to lose consciousness, I saw one of them aiming for Selina.

I crawled as fast as I can towards her and hugged her to protect her body from the assassins.

When I thought it would all be over, a familiar figure rushed towards us.

Elt had made his way and killed the assassins that have been ganging up on us.

The amount of relief still wasn’t enough to lift my tension as a ton of assassins still kept on emerging.

Elt then looked back and saw me and Selina, his eyes changed and he started attacking the enemies in a rage of fury.

I have never seen Elt that angry before… aside from just being angry he looked afraid and filled with despair.

His rage made him not notice the amount of slashes the assassins have managed to land on him.

The blades are poisoned so any more hits would get him possibly killed.

I made my way stumbling towards Elt and hugged his leg before he could rush towards another assassin.

I could see him calm down a bit as he now seemed to have realised the numbing sensation from the daggers.

Looking at me, Elt quickly lifted me up and ran towards Selina, he started to carry both of us in an attempt to escape but as soon as he turned his back, the enemies found a chance to strike and used it.

Then all of a sudden, before Elt could get stabbed, a large explosion happened inside the palace making me and Elt get blasted by the impact.

I was staring blankly and all I could hear was the tinnitus in my ears and the distant sounds of fire crackling.

‘Why… why now… just when I was starting to enjoy my life… why? I should’ve said their names… I should’ve… rather I shouldn’t have gotten attached to them in the first place….’

As if the one who placed me in this nightmare was laughing at my complacency, seemingly waking me up from my sweet dream or rather my illusion.

I was cursed to lose the ones I love, it has happened again and again….

At that moment I seemed to have remembered something, something that happened from my past life that I tried so hard to forget.

My brain was screaming, trying to block that memory from ever resurfacing as if it was saying I wasn’t ready yet.

In truth, I really wasn’t ready to accept that fact yet, even when I am already living my second life…

I am still not able to come to terms with what happened there.

A distant yell woke me up from my despair as if to warn me about the danger, a shadow loomed over me. I turned around to see one of the assassins still alive.

I looked up towards that person with dead emotionless eyes.

As I was ready to accept my death, a sword had slit the head from the body.

I turned to look towards the sword’s owner… the King had come to save my foolish life.

‘Haha pathetic I must say….' I could only laugh at my own incompetence.

“Ah… your Excellency….” Elt who was a little further from me, said in a relieved voice as he was hugging the bloodied body of Selina.

Maybe due to relief Elt collapsed, seeing that, I couldn’t help but started to panic as I quickly ran towards them.

“Don’t…. die... DON’T DIE! Please… don’t die…”

The first words I had ever spoken were ‘don’t die’ I wasn’t even able to say their names….As I kept on repeating the words ‘Don’t die’ over and over again.

They weren’t able to listen… and will forever be unable to listen to it now.

My tears were flowing but I couldn’t go crazy here now, I have to look for survivors.

‘I… have to look after my people.’ I then stood up and tried to go towards the burning palace.

But the King stopped me and tried to talk reason with me.

“The palace is already burning! Don’t go back in there unless you want to end up dead.” I then briefly looked at the King but my focus was once again shifted towards the burning palace.

The problem was, reason has already left my head the moment I said my first words.

“I have to go….” I struggled from the King’s embrace and reached my hand out towards the burning palace behind the King.

Not even knowing and caring that my nose had been dripping blood for a while now, I continued to try going towards the burning castle...

“Someone still… there…don’t… stop me… please…”

“…”

“I SAID! SOMEONE, STILL, ALIVE, THERE! Let me go save! PLEASE I’m begging you… let… save my... people…”

“….No, stay here. We can’t have the first prince of the Kingdom dying to a mere fire.”

Hearing the King's response, I couldn't help but stare.

I didn’t want to accept it, I couldn’t accept it, and just yesterday we were all laughing happily together…

But now…Only I can remember those times.

The King stopped me from going any further no matter how much I struggled.

Soon the strength in my legs gave out as I stare at the ground lifelessly.

The next thing I knew, I was being carried by the King while he was ordering the people and organizing the aftermath.

‘Even after all this, he was keeping a calm face….’ I stared in resentment but soon noticed a slightly different expression from what he had when I first saw him in the throne room a few years ago.

‘Ah... rather… he was keeping a calm façade….’ I guess he isn’t at all that heartless after seeing his most loyal servant injured like that, he truly is fit to be the King of this country…

‘I still have a long way to go….’

Having a blurry vision and a cloudy head… Even with that, I could still vividly see the cold and small objects dropping down on the land…

The first snow of the year had fallen…

‘Ah… it’s my birthday today isn’t it…? Haha a ‘happy’ birthday indeed…’ closing my eyes as my mental and physical strength had long been exhausted, every limb on my body felt limp.

I then collapsed as the last thing I saw was the palace filled with all my memories, burning to dust.

Knowing that when I wake up, nothing will be left but the ashes and fragile foundation.

….

…

..

Trivia

Mana cores and Renal cores are the main source of energy in this world, they power faucets, lamps, magic tools and many more.

Mana cores are taken from A-rank and above monsters while Renal cores drop from B-rank below monsters.

Mana cores are noticeably bigger and has a denser kind of luster to it, while Renal cores are smaller and has this crystalline kind of look to it.

The lamp that Opheli broke was powered by a Renal core.

When Renal cores are exposed to high amounts of masterfully concentrated mana, they end up overflowing with the said elemental energy inside them.

In this care, Fire energy was inside the Magic core.