Len's feet touched the floor as he eased himself off the bed. He stood and moved toward the heavy chamber doors without making a sound.
In the dim, amber light of the corridor, his shadow stretched long and hazy against the walls. He walked with quiet steps until he reached the top of the grand, winding staircase and came to a halt.
He paused for a moment, sensing the light and the profound silence rising from the hall below, before he began his descent. He placed each foot onto the steps with deliberate care, as if he were loath to disturb the prevailing stillness.
Below, Astria remained seated upon the velvet sofa in her regal stance. Her posture was motionless, her eyes fixed upon the void ahead. The moment Len cleared the final step and set foot upon the marble floor of the hall, Astria's ears registered his presence.
She did not so much as turn her neck, nor did she shift her gaze from the front. Her voice resonated through the empty hall like the strike of a stone.
"Where are you going?"
There was no trace of anger in her tone, yet that royal authority remained intact, forcing Len's advancing steps to a sudden halt.
Len anchored his gaze on Astria's face, a strange firmness reflecting in his eyes. "I am going out," he repeated. "I cannot bring myself to sleep anymore."
Astria adjusted her posture on the sofa, looking at him with a mix of concern and authority. "Where exactly will you go?" she asked in a chilly tone. "Look at the hour... can you not see the darkness?"
Not a single crease of worry appeared on Len's face. He simply said with ease, "I will return soon."
A heavy silence settled over the hall for a few moments. Astria took a long, deep breath, as if suppressing the protest rising within her. Finally, she lowered her lids. "Very well," she said in a low voice. "If you must go out, then you may."
Then, Astria raised her voice slightly, delivering a brief summons. As soon as her words trailed off, the sound of clanking iron armor echoed from behind the massive palace doors.
Two sturdy royal guards entered with measured strides, standing before Astria with bowed heads.
Astria gestured toward Len, her eyes remaining grave. "These guards will accompany you. Wherever you wish to go outside, you may... but under their shadow."
Len looked at the tall, imposing guards and then turned back to Astria. This time, a faint, carefree smile drifted across his lips. "Fine," he said, smiling as if he had no quarrel with this constant vigilance.
Standing amidst the grandeur of the hall, Len asked softly without moving from his spot, "May I leave now?"
Seated on the sofa, Astria closed her lids and gave a brief consent. "Fine, you may go."
Without a moment's delay, Len moved toward the massive royal doors of the hall. As he stepped out, the two bodyguards followed behind him like shadows.
The moment they cleared the hall, the other sentries on duty immediately resumed their positions, and the doors closed once more with their usual dignity.
Len was now in the outer corridors of the palace. His strides were rapid, as if he were seeking liberation from some invisible bond.
The sound of the guards' heavy boots echoed through the stillness of the evening behind him. Soon, he reached the grand Main Gate, where towering stone walls reached toward the sky on all sides.
The sentries stationed there watched the small boy approaching them. Reaching the gate, Len issued a command in a tone of authority, "Open the gate."
The two guards at the entrance glanced at each other, then at the royal bodyguards standing behind Len—proof that the Queen herself had granted him passage. They gave a silent nod.
With the echoing sound of heavy chains straining and iron clashing, the massive royal gate began to swing open.
As soon as the path was clear, Len did not linger for a second. He dashed out of that gateway like a bird finding freedom.
The faint light of the setting sun still lingered everywhere, making Len's small shadow clearly visible. Following close behind with heavy footsteps, the two bodyguards joined him in the soft light of the pleasant evening.
Len continued forward with steady strides, never once looking back. The cool evening breeze brushed against his face, yet his focus remained solely on the open path sprawling ahead.
Behind him, the two bodyguards exchanged glances as they watched him walk with such absolute nonchalance.
Finally, one of the guards cut through the silence, calling out, "Master... where are you heading?"
As the voice struck his ears, Len's feet froze in their tracks. He spun his frame around with swift agility and looked at them with a puzzled expression.
The guards' faces were etched with inquiry. Len shrugged his shoulders and turned his palms upward in a gesture of sheer innocence. "I don't even know where I am going myself," he replied.
The two guards stood momentarily stunned by his response.
Their bewilderment was plain to see. Before they could press for more, Len flicked his lashes and fixed his gaze once more on the greenery stretching into the distance. "Perhaps... I am looking for a friend," he murmured.
Without further explanation, Len turned again and resumed his pace. There was that same old indifference in his stride, as if he had no need for a map.
Seeing him regain momentum, the two guards took a deep breath and followed. As they walked, they exchanged another glance, unable to decipher who this 'friend' was that Len sought on this unfamiliar path.
For a while, only the rhythmic sound of their footsteps filled the air, but the guards' curiosity remained unsatiated.
As they walked, one of them suggested softly, "Master, if you are searching for a friend, perhaps we should head toward the city. You will find many children your age there with whom you can play."
At the guard's words, a blurred image flickered behind Len's eyes. He remembered the previous scene when he had approached the city children with such hope.
He had tried so hard to talk to them, but in return, he received only cold indifference. A boy among them, who appeared much older than Len, had told him in a harsh tone to leave the place.
A flash of bitterness touched Len's eyes, and he lowered his gaze. "No," he said in a clipped tone, his strides never faltering, "I don't want to be friends with them."
He continued with steady steps along the path that gradually led him toward a familiar slope. Before long, he stood at the outskirts of the same village he had passed through just this morning.
The village lanes were still as desolate as they had been when he saw them at dawn.
The doors of the mud houses remained slightly ajar, creaking eerily with each gust of wind just as before. There had been no one there then, and there was still no sign of life now.
The entire village lay shrouded in silence, like a desolate graveyard. Standing in the middle of the empty road, Len stared at the hollow houses where only dust and his own memories now resided.