The carriage didn't stop.
It kept moving forward—
steady, controlled—
as if nothing in the world could slow it down.
Aarav sat inside, silent.
His fingers rested loosely on his knee… but his gaze was fixed on the small window beside him.
At first—
he didn't understand what he was looking at.
Then—
"…What the hell…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Walls.
Not normal walls.
These were massive.
Stone rising so high it almost disappeared into the sky.
"…That's not a wall," he muttered under his breath.
"…That's a statement."
One of the knights standing nearby spoke calmly—
"The Kingdom of Valerion."
A small pause.
"…Your home."
Aarav blinked once.
Then leaned back slowly.
*Yeah… no.*
"…Right," he said quietly.
---
The gates opened.
Not slowly.
Not dramatically.
Instantly.
Like they were waiting.
"WELCOME BACK, LORD ARIS!"
Voices echoed across the entrance.
Loud.
Unified.
Disciplined.
Aarav flinched slightly at the sudden sound.
His eyes shifted toward Aris—
who didn't react at all.
*Of course he doesn't.*
The carriage rolled inside.
---
The city unfolded in front of him.
Crowded—
but not chaotic.
People moved quickly.
Purposefully.
And the moment they noticed the carriage—
they stepped aside.
Heads lowered.
Voices dropped.
"…Lord Aris…
"…The future king…"
"…He's back…"
Aarav leaned closer to the window, watching everything carefully.
"…Do they always do that?" he asked.
Aris didn't even look at him.
"Yes."
Aarav stared outside again.
*Yeah… that checks out.*
---
Then—
the palace appeared.
And this time—
Aarav didn't even try to act normal.
"…No way…"
He actually leaned forward.
Eyes wide.
White towers stretched upward like they were trying to pierce the sky.
Everything about it screamed power.
Not just wealth—
authority.
Control.
"…Okay," Aarav whispered,
"…that's illegal."
The carriage finally stopped.
Doors opened.
The outside world rushed in again—
but quieter now.
Controlled.
Servants immediately bowed.
"Welcome back, Lord Aris."
Aarav stepped down slowly.
The moment his feet touched the ground—
he felt it.
Eyes.
Everywhere.
Watching.
Judging.
Measuring.
His shoulders tensed slightly.
*Yeah… I really don't belong here.
---
Inside—
it was worse.
Too clean.
Too quiet.
Even footsteps echoed.
Aarav walked beside Aris, glancing around.
"…Do people even breathe normally here?" he muttered.
No answer.
"…I'll take that as a no."
---
They stopped in front of a large door.
Aris didn't turn.
"This will be your room."
The doors opened.
Aarav stepped in—
and immediately stopped.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
He slowly turned in place.
The room was huge.
Not big.
Huge.
"…This is bigger than Meera's entire house…"
Silence.
Aarav rubbed his forehead.
"…I can't live like this."
"You'll get used to it," Aris said calmly.
"I don't want to get used to it."
For the first time—
a faint, almost invisible smile crossed Aris's face.
Then he turned and left.
The door closed.
---
Silence.
Aarav stood there.
Then sat.
Then stood again.
"…Nope."
He pressed the bed with his hand.
Too soft.
"…This is not normal."
He exhaled.
"…Focus."
He raised his hand slowly.
"…Alright..
"…Power."
Nothing.
No reaction.
No glow.
No energy.
"…Still nothing."
He stared at his palm.
"…Do I even have one?"
A thought popped into his head.
"..if some witch fell in love with me and gave me a hidden power…"
Pause.
"…Yeah, that sounds stupid."
Another pause.
"…But also very anime."
He squinted slightly.
"…I refuse to rule that out."
---
He grabbed the edge of the bed.
"…Okay, at least give me super strength."
He pulled.
Nothing.
Not even a little.
"…Wow."
"…This world really said 'no'."
---
Aarav walked toward the window.
The view hit him instantly.
The entire city spread out below—
massive.
Alive.
Distant.
"…Could I just leave?"
He looked down.
His expression changed immediately.
"…Nope."
"…I would die."
A pause.
"…Painfully."
He leaned forward slightly—
thinking—
"…What even is my li—"
"Hey."
A voice.
Right behind him.
Aarav froze.
"…What—?"
His foot slipped.
"WAIT—!"
---
And suddenly—
he wasn't standing anymore.
He was falling.
Fast.
Wind slammed against his face.
"WAIT WAIT WAIT—!"
*THIS IS HOW I DIE?!*
Then—
something grabbed him.
Hard.
But controlled.
His fall stopped instantly.
Like he had hit an invisible wall.
Silence.
Aarav blinked.
"…Huh?"
He slowly looked up—
…and froze.
The red-haired boy was holding him mid-air.
One arm around his back.
The other supporting him—
Like something straight out of a dramatic romance scene.
The kind where the hero catches the heroine mid-fall.
Aarav stared.
Then looked down.
Then back at him.
"…No."
Pause.
"…No no no."
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…Why am I being held like this?"
The boy tilted his head, completely calm.
"You were falling."
Aarav pointed at himself.
"I get that."
Then at their position.
"But THIS—"
"…this is not how you catch someone."
A small pause.
"…This is how people fall in love."
The boy blinked.
"…Is it?"
Aarav immediately pulled himself away and landed properly.
"Yes."
Then muttered under his breath——
"…At least, that's how it works in stories.
He looked at him again.
"…Wait."
A pause.
"…You're not secretly a girl, right?"
The red-haired boy's expression didn't change.
"…No."
Aarav stared for a second longer.
"…Okay."
Another pause.
"…Good."
He looked away slightly.
"…That would've made this even weirder."
----
"You shouldn't try jumping from that height," the boy said.
"I wasn't jumping."
Pause.
"…I was testing gravity."
"…Right."
---
"…Who are you?" Aarav asked.
"Riven."
A pause.
"Royal trainee."
Aarav nodded slowly.
*Of course he is.*
---
Another presence approached.
A girl.
Calm.
Sharp
eyes.
"…Seraphine" Riven said.
She looked at Aarav.
Not casually.
Carefully.
"…So this is him."
Aarav frowned slightly.
*Why does that sound like I'm already a problem…*
---
"Try not to fall again," Riven said.
Aarav sighed.
"…No promises."
Riven turned.
Seraphine followed.
And just like that—
they were gone.
---
Aarav stood there.
Alone.
He looked at the palace.
Then at his hands.
Then up at the sky.
A slow breath left his chest.
"…Yeah."
A small pause.
"…I definitely don't belong here."
End of this Chapter