## Chapter 24 — The Price of a Soul
The air in the office was suffocating, heavy with a silence that felt like a physical weight on Aarav's shoulders.
Aris Valen stood like a statue behind his desk, his eyes cold, analytical, and demanding.
"Explain yourself, Aarav," Aris repeated. Each word was measured, carrying the weight of an ultimatum.
Aarav's mind was a frantic blur of calculations. *Delhi. Should I tell him I'm from Delhi? That I was just a student? No... that's suicide. He'll think I'm a demon or a lunatic. But I have to give him something... some version of the truth that satisfies a man who sees through everything.*
Before he could find the words, the world around him fractured. The mahogany shelves and the smell of old parchment vanished. In their place, a sky of choking grey ash bled into existence. The Ruined World. A distorted, haunting voice whispered from the shadows—close, yet unreachable. The sheer mental pressure of the vision felt like a physical blow to his skull.
His knees buckled.
Thud.
Aarav slammed onto the floor, his breath coming in ragged, desperate gasps as the vision snapped shut. He was back in the office, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird.
Aris walked slowly around his desk, looking down at the trembling boy.
"Hmm? What was that?" He tilted his head, watching Aarav with a predatory curiosity. "I haven't even touched you yet. You shouldn't be this fragile, Aarav. It's almost as if you're terrified of your own thoughts."
Aarav looked up, sweat stinging his eyes. He forced his shaking voice to find some semblance of ground.
"I didn't... fall because of you," he croaked, forcing himself to stay conscious.
Aris's expression turned cold. In one fluid motion, he drew his slender sword. The silver steel sang as the tip came to rest just an inch from Aarav's throat.
"Then stop wasting my time," Aris whispered, his voice dangerously low. "Who are you? Tell me the truth, or this room becomes your grave."
Aarav stared at the steel. He realized there was no exit, no "reset" button. He took a shaky breath, his eyes darting from the blade back to Aris's piercing gaze.
"I'll tell you..." Aarav started, his voice barely a rasp. "I don't know if I'm your Prince. I don't remember this place... or you. Everything is blurry."
Aris narrowed his eyes, the sword remaining perfectly still.
"Interesting. Go on."
"I woke up... in a world of ash," Aarav continued, struggling to find the words to describe the nightmare. "Everything was dead. Grey skies, smoke... it felt like the end of time. I was just... walking. Then a monster appeared. It was huge. Dark. It didn't feel like an animal... it felt like death itself."
"A monster?" Aris interjected, his tone calm but sharp. "In a dead world? And what did this 'death' do to you?"
Aarav swallowed hard, the memory making his skin crawl.
"It struck me. Right here, on my chest. I felt my bones crush. I remember the cold... it was so cold, Aris. I felt my life leaking out. I was sure I was gone."
Aris hummed softly, a sound that sent a chill down Aarav's spine.
"A world of ash... death... and yet, you are standing here. How exactly did you survive that?"
"I don't know!" Aarav's voice cracked with genuine frustration. "When I opened my eyes again, I was in a small house. Meera's house. The ash was gone. It was just a quiet farm. But the wound... the pain... it was real. Meera saved me. That's all I know. That's the only truth I have."
Aris searched Aarav's eyes, his sword still steady.
"A world of ash. A very convenient story for someone who wants to hide his past. Perhaps I should go to this village myself. I'll ask this 'Meera' and her family. I'm sure they'll tell a much more... grounded story once my knights start their questioning."
The mention of Meera's family hit Aarav like a lightning bolt. He thought of Rian's wooden sword, of Meera's kind smile and how she had shared her meager food with a stranger. A surge of protective anger, something he didn't know he possessed, suddenly drowned out his fear.
"Don't you dare," Aarav growled. He looked Aris straight in the eye, ignoring the blade at his throat. "Don't bring them into this. If you want to take your anger out on someone, take it out on me. Kill me right here if you want! I don't care anymore! But stay away from them. They are innocent."
For a long, agonizing moment, Aris froze. He wasn't seeing a stranger anymore. For a split second, he saw a flash of his younger brother—the 3rd Prince—back when he used to scream about wanting to be left alone, his eyes filled with that same stubborn, desperate pride.
Aris sheathed his sword with a sharp, echoing clack.
"Riven. Guards. Enter," Aris commanded.
Aarav squeezed his eyes shut, his heart hammering. *This is it. I'm dead.*
"Riven," Aris said calmly as the door opened. "From this day on, you are Aarav's personal bodyguard. Stay with him. Teach him about this world. And above all, protect him."
Aarav's eyes snapped open. "Wait... what?"
"What? Why?" Riven asked, the guard's voice actually showing a hint of genuine shock. "You want me to babysit a boy who can't even stand straight?"
Aarav, feeling a massive wave of relief, gave Riven a shaky, awkward grin. "So... I guess we're friends now?"
Riven's face was like stone. "Go to your room. Now. Before I change my mind about the 'protecting' part."
Aarav didn't wait. He scrambled out of the office, his legs still shaky. Once the door closed, Riven turned to Aris, clearly annoyed. "A babysitter? Really, Aris? He's clearly not the Prince we knew."
Aris's serious persona suddenly melted into a playful, Gojo-like smirk. He leaned against his desk and chuckled. "Oh, come on, Riven. Don't act like you're not curious. You've been stalking him since he arrived anyway. I just made your hobby official!"
Aris's gaze then turned thoughtful as he looked at the door. "Did you see his eyes? That 'Ruined World' he mentioned... it's not just a dream. There's something inside him that even he doesn't understand yet. It'll be fun to watch him wake up."
[Meanwhile — Meera's Village]
The sun was setting, painting the fields in deep gold. Meera was hanging laundry, watching Rian run around with his wooden stick.
"Take that!" Rian yelled, swinging at the air. "I bet the City Guy is crying in his big fancy bed right now because he misses my cooking!"
Meera smiled, but her eyes were distant. "He didn't even know how to use a hoe, Rian. I just hope the palace people are kind to him."
[Back in the Palace]
Aarav reached his room and collapsed onto the bed. The adrenaline was gone, leaving him completely drained. Suddenly, he let out a massive sneeze.
Achoo!
"Ugh," he rubbed his nose, looking at the ceiling. "Someone's definitely talking about me. Probably Riven, complaining about his new job."
He looked out the window at the moon. He had survived Aris. But tomorrow, the "hell" of training would begin.
What am I supposed to do now?
—End of the chapter —