Thud! Thud! Thud!
The knocking grew louder with every passing second, urgent and insistent.
In the room, a child slept peacefully until a sharp noise shattered his dreams. His eyelids fluttered open, and he sat up slowly, blinking as he looked around his surroundings. The dimly lit room felt familiar, yet his drowsy mind struggled to fully grasp it.
Just then, another knock echoed through the chamber.
"Who is it?" the child asked, his voice thick with sleep.
"Young Prince, the Grand Minister has summoned you to the throne room," came the muffled reply from the other side of the door.
The boy frowned, his brows drawing together in confusion. Why would the Grand Minister need him so early in the morning?
As he pondered, the guard spoke again.
"Commander Tenzing has returned with Captain Aabir, Prince Desma, and the others."
At those words, the prince's eyes lit up. A wide grin spread across his face as he sprang from his bed and flung open the door.
"They won?" he asked eagerly.
"Yes, young Prince. The enemy army has been pushed back," the guard confirmed.
"However—" he hesitated.
Young Hi'um looked at the guard, puzzled. They had won the battle, and everyone had returned safely. Then why was the guard hesitating? Why did he look so grim?
"Lord Dorje—" The guard swallowed hard.
"Lord Dorje couldn't make it."
The words struck Hi'um like thunder. His breath hitched, and the last traces of sleep vanished in an instant.
[He's lying. Father must be behind, just running a little late.]
Without hesitation, he dashed out of his room, barefoot.
He ran through the halls, his breath ragged and his heartbeat pounding in his ears as he gulped down the tightness in his throat and forced himself forward.
As he reached the great hall, familiar faces came into view—warriors, ministers, servants—all gathered in solemn silence. Their eyes turned toward him, filled with something he didn't want to recognize.
Sympathy.
His heart ached, but he pushed on.
Pushing through the crowd, he suddenly heard a sound that stopped him in his tracks—a cry, raw and broken.
His mother.
Hi'um's steps slowed. His eyes followed the sound, and there she was—kneeling on the floor, her face streaked with tears. Her delicate hands trembled as they rested on a still, lifeless figure beside her.
His lips twitched, trying to hold back tears. His nails dug into his palm as he clenched his fist tighter. But his hand soon lost all its strength when he saw the body lying beside his mother.
He froze as tears gathered in his eyes. Unable to believe it, he took a step forward. As he walked ahead, memories flashed through his mind.
His father—the man who always smiled so calmly, who held his hand just a week ago, who promised to teach him how to wield a sword—now lay motionless. Lifeless.
Tears filled his eyes, blurring everything. His chest tightened, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe. And then, that little boy fell to his knees as he burst in tears, his breath hitching.
As he finally came to, he looked around to find someone—his brother, Desma
Unwilling to intrude on his mother's grief, Hi'um sought the only person he could lean on. His eyes moved from one familiar face to another—Uncle Tenzing, big brother Aabir, the Grand Minister—yet Desma was nowhere to be found.
Then, as he turned, his sister-in-law sat on the floor, cradling his brother's head in her arms, gently stroking his hair.
A bittersweet smile tugged at Hi'um's lips. At that moment, he was alone. Truly alone.
Wiping his face on his sleeve, he slowly rose to his feet. Without a word, he walked through the crowd, his head bowed. No one stopped him. No one called out his name.
He reached his room, stepped inside, and locked the door behind him.
Tears slipped past his closed eyelids, trailing down his cheeks. With a shaky breath, he lay back, sinking into the bed, yet the ache in his chest only deepened.
Whoosh~
A sudden gust of wind sent a shiver through his body. His eyes snapped open, his breathing rapid.
As he calmed down, he found himself standing in a long corridor. Looking around, he saw no one. He took a hesitant step forward, still confused about what had just happened
He had only taken two steps when a sound came from behind. Turning around, he saw a door that hadn't been there before.
It was his mother's—the Queen's room.
Hesitantly, he walked up to the door. His hand trembled as he approached the handle. As he stepped inside the room, he heard a sobbing voice. It was his brother, by the bed, with his sister-in-law and a month-old child in her arms beside him.
Hi'um slowly approached, his legs shaking. The child stared at the still figure before him.
His mother lay motionless, her fair skin tinged blue, foam gathering at the corners of her mouth.
The sight made the child fall to his knees. An agonized cry echoed through the corridor as Hi'um held his mother's hand, now devoid of warmth.
Clatter~
A metallic sound echoed in the dark room, waking up the man on the bed. He suddenly rose and sat straight, his face drenched in sweat.
[It was a dream!]
The man sat there, gasping for air. Slowly, his breathing steadied as he remained still, staring into empty space.
[Mother… Father… I am sorry. I... I failed you.]
[Even the kingdom was torn apart because of me.]
His mind clouded with guilt. Tears gathered at the edges of his eyes, blurring his vision.
After a long silence, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to steady. He swung his legs over the bed and sat at its edge.
[I won't repeat the same mistakes again.]
[This time, I will protect our family… with Brother.]
Determination replaced the sorrow on his face. As his senses returned, he noticed sunlight slipping into the darkened room.
It was already afternoon.
He quickly dressed in his noble attire and stepped out of his chamber.
The guards outside straightened at his presence, then bowed.
"Your Majesty."
Hi'um gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
"My Lord, Sir Dhritiman ordered us not to disturb you."
Hi'um paused, his brows furrowing slightly.
"I see." He turned and walked ahead.
He soon arrived at the spot where he had last met Dhritiman the evening before. Standing under the sun, Dhritiman's sharp gaze followed the approaching figure as he dismissed the nearby guards.
"Good morning, my Lord," he greeted with a slight bow.
The guards bowed deeply to the King before leaving.
"Morning, Sir Dhritiman," Hi'um replied, his gaze flickering toward the path the guards had taken. "Did something happen? I saw Captain Lingpa here, though he's usually in charge of night patrols."
"Ah, that," Dhritiman said. "I was speaking with him about accompanying the men traveling to Yunnan. Since he comes from that region, I thought he would be an asset."
"That's a good decision. When are they leaving?"
"In a week, after Your Majesty returns from the harvest festival."
"Very well." Hi'um nodded in approval, then his expression darkened slightly. "...Anyway, why didn't you allow the guards to wake me?"
"My Lord, I actually came to wake you before Prince Chandra and the children left. I knocked, but you didn't answer. Assuming you were exhausted from the journey, I ordered them not to disturb you," Dhritiman explained.
"So… they've already left," Hi'um murmured, his voice laced with quiet disappointment.
"I did, however, give your presents for Lord Desma and Queen Noi to the Prince before he departed."
"Thank you, Sir Dhritiman," Hi'um said, though his voice was subdued. He sighed, then turned toward him again. "Sir Dhritiman?"
"Yes, my Lord?"
"Would you handle affairs in my stead today? I wish to rest."
"As you wish, my Lord. Please take care of your health," Dhritiman said with a respectful bow.
Hi'um inclined his head slightly before walking away.
As soon as Hi'um disappeared down the corridor, Dhritiman's expression darkened. His lips curled into a smirk.
"The longer you drown in your guilt, the better it is for my plan."
He let out a quiet breath. His eyes flickered toward the distant valley.
[I just pray he handles everything!]