Rain poured across the city.
Cold droplets slammed against the pavement while neon signs reflected across the wet roads like shattered colors. Midnight had swallowed the streets whole.
And Ren was running.
"Tch—!"
He vaulted over a metal railing while footsteps thundered behind him.
The pursuit hadn't stopped since the attack.
If anything…
It got worse.
Two days earlier, after the ambush near the shopping district, Ren thought the trackers would back off for a while.
They didn't.
Instead, more suspicious people started appearing around school. Black cars parked outside the station too often. Unknown numbers called Ren's phone constantly.
And tonight…
Everything exploded again.
"REN, LEFT!" Leo shouted.
Ren instantly turned into a narrow alley just as a black SUV crashed through the road behind him.
The vehicle slammed into trash bins violently.
"ARE THESE PEOPLE INSANE?!" Lilia screamed while clinging onto Ren's arm.
"Yes!" Ren answered immediately.
"That's not reassuring!"
Leo landed beside them smoothly despite wearing dress shoes somehow.
"Three more incoming."
"How are you so calm?!" Lilia cried.
"I was professionally trained."
"You were professionally trained for THIS?!"
Ren peeked around the corner.
Five men.
Armed.
Fast.
Definitely trained.
"…They're getting desperate," Ren muttered.
One attacker smirked coldly. "You can't run forever, prince."
Ren sighed tiredly.
"You people are seriously ruining my week."
Then—
BOOM.
A punch slammed directly into the attacker's face so hard the man literally spun before collapsing.
Everyone froze.
Kaito stood there cracking his knuckles.
Rain dripped from his hoodie while his expression looked unusually serious.
"…Did he just fly?" Kaito blinked.
Ren stared. "Kaito?!"
Lilia pointed dramatically. "YOU CAN FIGHT TOO?!"
Kaito looked confused. "Did I never mention I used to box?"
"USED TO?!" Ren yelled. "THAT GUY ASCENDED!"
Another attacker rushed Kaito.
Big mistake.
Kaito dodged instantly and landed three brutal punches straight into the guy's stomach before finishing with a clean uppercut.
CRACK.
The attacker collapsed unconscious.
Silence.
Lilia stared with sparkly eyes.
"KAITO THAT WAS SO COOL!"
Kaito grinned proudly. "National youth boxing champion two years straight."
Ren blinked slowly.
"…Why is everyone around me secretly dangerous?"
Leo adjusted his gloves calmly. "The young master attracts extraordinary people."
"I attract migraines."
Unfortunately…
The attackers kept coming.
More footsteps echoed nearby.
Ren clicked his tongue. "We need to move."
The group sprinted deeper into the city.
Rain soaked through their clothes while neon lights blurred around them. The streets felt endless.
Lilia struggled to keep up.
Ren noticed immediately.
Without warning—
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer beside him.
"Stay near me."
Her heart skipped slightly.
"…Okay."
Even now…
Even while being chased through the city by assassins…
He still prioritized her first.
Which honestly felt unfair for her heart.
They eventually reached an abandoned parking structure.
Everyone stopped briefly to catch their breath.
Kaito leaned against a pillar laughing slightly.
"This is insane. I was literally studying history yesterday."
"You still failed history," Sayaka's voice echoed nearby.
Everyone turned.
She walked into the parking structure holding an umbrella calmly.
Ren looked horrified.
"…Why are YOU here?!"
Sayaka adjusted her glasses.
"You idiots left your phones tracked. Honestly, for secret royals, you're terrible at hiding."
Leo looked impressed.
"She is quite intelligent."
"Thank you."
Kaito pointed accusingly. "WAIT YOU KNEW ABOUT THE PRINCE THING TOO?!"
Sayaka crossed her arms.
"I had suspicions."
Ren sighed deeply.
"Of course you did."
Lilia suddenly noticed something.
"…Wait. Why are you dressed like that?"
Sayaka wore black athletic clothes instead of her usual uniform.
Sayaka blinked once.
"…I came prepared."
The moment she said that—
Three attackers appeared behind her.
Wrong choice.
Sayaka spun instantly and slammed her umbrella directly into one guy's throat before sweeping another attacker's legs.
Kaito's jaw dropped.
"…WHY IS THE STUDENT COUNCIL SECRETARY BUILT LIKE A SPY?!"
Sayaka fixed her hair calmly.
"Self-defense classes."
"That is NOT self-defense anymore!"
Even Ren looked genuinely concerned now.
The battle inside the parking structure turned chaotic.
Kaito was throwing boxing combinations like a machine gun.
Leo fought with terrifying elegance.
Sayaka weaponized literally anything nearby.
And Ren—
Ren looked completely different.
Cold.
Focused.
Fast.
Like someone born for battle.
Lilia watched him silently for a moment.
This side of him…
It was scary.
But also strangely lonely.
One attacker pulled a knife suddenly and rushed toward Ren from behind.
"REN!"
Before Ren could react—
Lilia grabbed a metal pipe nearby and swung it wildly.
CLANG.
The attacker dropped instantly.
Everyone froze.
Lilia blinked at the unconscious man.
"…I HIT HIM."
Ren stared.
"…You actually hit him."
"I AM WARRIOR PRINCESS AGAIN!"
Kaito started laughing uncontrollably.
"She's evolving!"
Ren couldn't stop a small laugh escaping either.
And for a second—
Despite everything…
Things felt weirdly normal again.
Then the lights went out.
Darkness swallowed the parking structure instantly.
Everyone tensed.
A slow clap echoed through the shadows.
"Well done."
A tall figure stepped forward.
Unlike the others…
This man felt different.
Dangerous.
Even Ren's expression changed immediately.
"…You."
The man smiled slightly.
Silver hair.
Sharp eyes.
Expensive black coat.
"Prince Ren," he said calmly. "You've grown troublesome."
Lilia felt chills instantly.
"Who is he…?"
Leo stepped forward slightly.
"…Lord Vincent."
Even Kaito stopped joking now.
Vincent looked toward Lilia.
"So this is the runaway princess."
Ren instantly moved in front of her.
"Don't."
Vincent chuckled softly.
"Relax. If I wanted her dead, she would already be dead."
The air became heavy instantly.
Sayaka narrowed her eyes.
"…I don't like this guy."
"Smart girl," Vincent replied.
Ren's fists tightened.
"What do you want?"
Vincent smiled faintly.
"You."
Silence.
Rain echoed outside.
Then Vincent's expression softened slightly.
"…The kingdom is collapsing again, Ren. People are fighting over what remains. Some want you dead. Others want you back."
Ren's jaw clenched.
"I left that life behind."
"You don't get to choose that."
For the first time—
Ren hesitated.
And Lilia noticed.
Beneath all the sarcasm… beneath all the coldness…
A part of him was scared.
Vincent turned away slowly.
"I'll give you time."
Then his eyes landed briefly on Lilia.
"…Protect him better than his kingdom did."
And just like that—
He disappeared into the darkness.
The silence afterward felt suffocating.
Kaito finally spoke first.
"…Okay what the actual hell is your life?"