For years, Von disappeared from their lives, a painful memory that lingered like a ghost.
The Queen's heart broke anew each time she thought of him, picturing the boy he had once been—the laughter, the mischief, the unyielding determination. She mourned not just for his absence but for the life he could have lived, the man he was meant to become.
Even so, deep within her heart, she clung to hope. No matter how heavy the darkness weighed on him, no matter how much it sought to consume him, she believed in the resilience of his spirit.
Von's heart, she was certain, remained untainted at its core. The light within him, though dimmed, had not been extinguished.
"Von . . . my son . . . ," she whispered to herself, her voice trembling with both sorrow and resolve. "I know you're still in there. The darkness may surround you, but it will never truly claim you."
