No one moved.
Not immediately.
The air still carried the weight of what had just been said.
*A third… prince.*
Aarav stood there, his gaze unfocused, fixed somewhere beyond the present moment. His thoughts weren't racing anymore.
They were colliding.
*I'm just a normal guy… right?*
His fingers curled slightly.
*Then why… this?*
Slowly, his eyes shifted toward Aris.
Calm. Composed. Unshaken.
Aarav studied his face carefully.
*Have I… seen him before?*
The feeling was strange.
Not familiarity.
Not completely unfamiliar either.
Something in between.
His hand moved unconsciously to his chest.
*This body is mine.*
*This face is mine.*
His breathing slowed.
*Then what does that mean?*
A pause.
A dangerous thought formed.
*Did I… reincarnate into my own body?*
Silence answered.
A tired thought slipped through his mind—
*Why is my life this complicated…*
Then, almost instinctively—
*If I ever meet the writer of my life…*
*I'm actually going to have a serious problem with him.*
Aarav exhaled quietly.
"…I need some time."
His voice was softer than expected.
But it didn't shake.
---
Aris didn't argue.
He simply watched.
"…Take what you need," he said.
Not permission.
Acknowledgment.
---
From the side, Meera stepped forward.
Her voice was quieter than usual.
"…So you're… a royal?"
Aarav let out a small breath.
"…I just found out too."
There was no pride in his voice.
No excitement.
Only confusion.
---
Meera looked at him carefully, as if searching for something that might still be the same.
"…You're still Aarav… right?"
That question hit harder than anything else.
Aarav blinked.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
"…I think so."
Even he could hear the uncertainty in his own voice.
---
Rian stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve tightly.
"You're not going to disappear, right?"
His voice was small.
But honest.
Aarav looked down at him.
For a moment, everything else faded.
The pressure.
The knights.
The truth.
"…I don't know," he admitted.
Rian's grip tightened.
"…Then don't go."
That made Aarav hesitate.
Not pretend hesitation.
Real hesitation.
---
"…Rian."
Daren's voice was calm, but firm.
The boy slowly let go.
---
Daren stepped forward.
His presence was steady, grounded.
"…Royal or not," he said slowly,
"…you're still the boy we found half-dead in the forest."
A brief pause.
"And the one who tried to help in my field."
Aarav gave a faint, awkward smile.
"…Yeah. That sounds about right."
Daren nodded once.
"…Then don't forget that."
It wasn't a command.
It was something heavier.
Something that anchored him.
---
Aris spoke again.
"You protected him."
Daren met his gaze without hesitation.
"…Anyone would have."
Aris shook his head slightly.
"No."
"…Not everyone would."
Silence settled again.
"I cannot repay what you've done," Aris continued,
"…but I will do what I can."
The weight behind those words was undeniable.
---
Daren didn't respond immediately.
"…Just make sure," he said slowly,
"…that whatever happens next…"
His eyes shifted toward Aarav.
"…he doesn't regret leaving this place."
That was all.
But it carried everything.
---
Behind them, Kael crossed his arms.
"…This changes things."
Lyra didn't look away from Aarav.
"…More than you think."
---
Aris stepped forward again.
His presence returned fully.
Clear.
Final.
"We leave now."
There was no room for argument.
No space for delay.
Just a decision.
---
Aarav felt it.
That quiet pull.
Like the world itself had already chosen his direction.
Whether he agreed or not.
He turned.
His eyes met Meera's.
For a moment—
Everything else disappeared.
"…Take care of yourself," she said.
Her voice was steady.
But her eyes weren't.
Aarav smiled faintly.
"You too."
A pause.
Then she added,
"Don't do something reckless."
Aarav exhaled softly.
"…No promises."
For a brief second—
Something softened in her expression.
Not quite a smile.
But close enough.
---
Rian spoke again, quieter this time.
"…You better come back."
Aarav looked at him.
"…I'll try."
Not a promise.
But not empty either.
---
Daren placed a hand on his shoulder.
"…Whatever you are," he said,
"…don't lose yourself trying to become something else."
Aarav nodded slowly.
"…I won't."
This time—
He meant it.
---
Moments later—
He stepped into the carriage.
The door closed behind him.
The outside world faded.
---
Through the small window—
He could still see them.
Standing there.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then—
Distance took them.
---
The carriage began to move.
Slowly at first.
Then steadily.
The village grew smaller.
Quieter.
Farther away.
---
Aarav leaned back.
Closed his eyes.
*Royal.*
*Brother.*
*Another world.*
He let out a slow breath.
"…What even is my life anymore…"
For the first time—
There was no joke behind it.
Just truth.
A quiet, uncertain truth.
---
The carriage moved forward.
And with it—
The life he had just begun to accept…
Was left behind.
End of Chapter