"What's your name, child?" Her voice carried the soft kindness of a mother's love.

Rudra's bright smile returned, and he answered, "I am Rudra."

The king, after observing the exchange, gave a curt order: "Sit." Rudra glanced at the chair in front of him—its luxury unlike anything he had ever experienced. He hesitated, standing firmly on the ground, as if the act of sitting was alien to him. But, after a moment, he moved to sit.

The queen continued with her gentle questioning. "Rudra, what about your family?"

Rudra's smile faltered as a brief silence stretched between them. Then he answered, his voice soft and distant, "No one's there," before a practiced smile returned to his face. *Do I need to smile after every word I say?* he thought, inwardly exhausted. *It consumes too much of my energy.*

The queen, sensing the discomfort in his tone, stood and moved closer to him. She gently patted his head, a gesture that seemed to comfort him despite his instinct to pull away. His eyes fluttered shut at the touch. Ray, watching them, couldn't help but feel a swell of emotion. He stood up, voice soft but filled with pride, "Rudra, let me introduce you to our family. This is my mother, Clesera Vertay, Queen of Eryndra, and this is my father, Draven Vertay, the Lord of Eryndra." He gestured to a young man and a little girl next to the queen. "This is my big brother, Riven, and my cute little sister, Selene."

Suddenly, a voice piped up from Selene, "Big bro, who is he?" Her question hung in the air with innocent curiosity.

Ray hesitated, looking at Rudra before responding, "He's going to be your big brother."

Selene's eyes lit up with excitement. "Big brother!" she cheered, her voice filled with unbridled joy.

Ray smiled softly, nodding. "Yes, you can play with your three big brothers now."

The queen added with a bright smile, "Yes, yes, you can play with your big brothers now, Selene!"

Then she turned back to Rudra, her voice gentle and curious, "How old are you, Rudra?"

Rudra, his excitement growing, answered with a smile, "I'm going to be 9 years old next month."

The queen seemed surprised for a moment, before she replied, "Ray also turned 9 one month ago."

Rudra looked at Ray, his face bright with excitement. "You're older than me!" he said, smiling wide.

Ray smiled back, his tone teasing, "I'm going to be your big brother now."

The queen nodded approvingly, turning to Riven. "Yes, yes, you're going to be his big brother, right?"

Riven, still staring at Rudra, finally spoke up, his voice curious. "Hey, Rudra, did you train in martial arts before?"

Rudra smiled, his voice calm but slightly playful, "Martial arts? Hah, if I had that luxury, I wouldn't have had to starve for days."

Riven's excitement grew, his eyes lighting up. "Then do you want to learn martial arts from your big brother?"

Rudra, his face turning serious, paused for a moment. "If I'm going to learn something," he said slowly, "I'd like to learn the way of the blade."

Riven blinked, surprised by Rudra's words. "Why the blade?" he asked.

Rudra's expression shifted, his eyes turning cold and distant. "It's easier to kill someone with a blade, not with hands," he said, his voice lowering. For a split second, his demeanor became far colder, and the others at the table could feel the shift in the atmosphere.

But then Rudra blinked, his coldness suddenly faltering as he realized the depth of his words. His expression softened again, and he spoke quietly, "I'm too frail. I can't even protect myself. How could I protect you guys?"

Riven, his eyes wide with emotion, leaned forward. "You want to protect us?" His voice was shaky, full of raw emotion.

The queen, her heart warmed by Rudra's words, said softly, "How kind of you, Rudra."

Rudra, almost surprised by the reaction, smiled faintly and thought, *I almost got caught in the act there.*

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The queen, noticing his discomfort, asked gently, "What about your family?"

Rudra's voice was quiet as he spoke, his gaze distant. "I was living with my grandfather until I turned 8. One day, he just vanished... you can say he abandoned me. A few months later, I found him at a bar, drinking. I tried to talk to him, but instead, he beat me and left again..."

Rudra fell silent, his words lingering in the air. *I'm lying,* he thought, *I never found him after that.*

The queen stood and, with a soft smile, gently took Rudra's hand. "Come," she said, leading him toward the high ground where the crowd awaited.

With a quiet command, the queen announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, hear this—this is my third child." She looked at Rudra, a smile forming on her lips. "Greet them, and come to the table."

As the whispers rose again, Rudra stood still for a moment before announcing, "I am the third prince of Eryndra... Rudra." The crowd's reaction was immediate, but Rudra stood unmoving, the weight of his new title settling heavily on him.

At the king's side, the silence stretched as the king turned to Ray. "Why are you so eager to make him part of our family?"

Ray's gaze softened as he met Rudra's eyes, and after a long pause, he spoke. "After what happened... I feared everyone. The darkness, the nightmares... everything. But when I met Rudra, something in me changed. He made me feel safe. It's like a thread was pulling me toward him, and I couldn't ignore it. Even though I don't know him, I feel at ease when he's around. I'll keep him close, no matter the cost. I don't want to go back to that nightmare."

The king's eyes softened, and though he said nothing, his care for his son was evident.

The queen, moved by Ray's words, wiped her eyes, and Riven stepped forward to hug his brother. "I'm here for you, Ray. I'll protect you, even with my life, so just... enjoy your life."

The king then turned to a servant. "Prepare a room for the third prince. Don't make any mistakes."

Rudra, after hearing these words, stood up and moved quickly toward the queen. "Do I need permission to sit, even after you've announced me as your child?" he asked, a faint blush coloring his cheeks.

The queen sighed, smiling softly. "I think you need time to adjust to this environment."

Rudra sat at the table, and the king finally spoke up, "Let's eat, it's late."

The servants hurried to serve the food. The king's voice, warm and concerned, reached Rudra. "Eat well, Rudra. And slowly."

The table fell into a comfortable silence as they began to eat, the atmosphere a little lighter than before.

Once dinner was over, the king ordered a servant to escort Rudra to his room. As Rudra rose, the servant bowed. "This way, your highness."

The queen called after him, "Rest well, Rudra. Go to bed early."

As Rudra was about to leave, Ray's voice called out. "I'll come by your room."

"I'm off, mother," Ray added, before following Rudra.

The servant led Rudra to his new room, a space far more luxurious than anything he'd seen before. "Is this my room?" Rudra asked in awe.

"Yes, your highness," the servant replied.

Ray nodded. "It's similar to my room." After a moment, Ray smiled and said, "You must be exhausted after everything. I'll leave you to rest."

Rudra smiled back, and as Ray turned to leave, Rudra stopped him. "Ray…"

Ray turned around, a soft smile on his face. "What is it?"

Rudra's voice was warm, reassuring. "Rest well.Don't think much and Stop letting your mind wander into things that haven't happened yet. If overthinking could change the future, then everyone would be stuck in endless cycles of worry. But it doesn't. It only robs you of your peace. The energy you waste on things that might never come is energy you could be using to live the moment you're in. Let go of the what-ifs, and find strength in the now. Today is the only moment that truly matters."

Ray's eyes softened. "You speak well, Rudra. I thought you were a cold person."

Rudra smiled faintly. "Just go now."

After Ray left, Rudra lay on the bed, his mind turning over the events of the day. Will my life get easier or harder from here?he wondered, a strange sense of comfort settling over him. It's beautiful, lying down in this bed.

Somewhere in the world

In a distant, hidden place, a group of ten figures stood in complete shadow, their forms indistinct, as if they were part of the darkness itself. A hushed voice broke the silence, cutting through the stillness like a whisper in the wind.

"The 21st holder of the seed... he has emerged from his cave."

Another voice, deeper and more restrained, responded almost immediately, tinged with impatience. "It's not the time for that."

A third shadow, slightly more eager, pressed on. "What about them then?"

A brief pause hung in the air before the question was answered with a quiet, unsettling calm. "Who?"

"The beings from above." The words were spoken as if they were known, yet distant, as though they were a matter long understood but rarely discussed.

The voice from before spoke once more, the edge of anxiety creeping into the words. "What about them?"

A murmur passed through the group, the tension palpable, but it was the voice from the rock that held the most weight. It lingered in the air like a dark omen.

"According to the initial signs, they'll start moving for their lost seeds," the leader said, his tone carrying an air of inevitability.

The others listened in silence, their attention rapt.

"You know what that means," the shadow continued, their voice now a soft but knowing threat. "When they move... everything will change."

There was another long silence. The shadows spoke of negotiations, of the delicate balance between them and others. But one voice, quieter than the rest, asked the question that had been on all their minds: "What do you think, leader?"

The figure on the rock leaned back, his presence commanding the silence as he gazed out, his eyes unseeing in the dark. His answer, when it came, was as cold and final as the night itself.

"The war between humans and them is coming, ha."

The words lingered in the air, a statement more than a prediction, as if all present had known this moment was inevitable. The shadows, shrouded in their mysteries, seemed to breathe as one. The dark was thick with the promise of what was to come.