The Imperial Academy had always been a place of discovery—where commoners and nobles alike were molded into the next generation of leaders, scholars, and warriors. Among them, Simone had quietly blended into the ranks of commoners. His transformation from the timid, overweight prince to the imposing figure of the Crown Prince was something few could have predicted, especially the friends he had made in the academy.
Simone had befriended a small group of scholarship students during his time there. Elliot, a cheerful and outgoing boy from a humble background, had been one of the first to extend a hand to Simone, unaware of his true identity. They shared quiet conversations between lessons, bonding over simple joys, and for the first time, Simone felt seen as more than just a prince or royal family member. His friends treated him as an equal—someone who wasn't defined by his title but by his character and actions.
But now, everything had changed.
Months had passed since Simone had disappeared from the academy, his absence felt by his friends but never questioned—after all, who could ever guess that the quiet, withdrawn boy they had known was actually the son of the Emperor himself, and now the newly appointed Crown Prince? When Simone had vanished, there were rumors, but none of them ever considered the truth.
One day, the rumors returned to the academy in a flurry of whispers. The students had gathered in the courtyard, their conversations crackling with excitement as they discussed the latest decree from the palace. News had spread like wildfire that the mysterious and absent 5th Prince, the one who had chosen to live as a commoner, had been crowned the new Crown Prince of the empire.
The news shocked everyone, but for Simone's closest friends, it was a revelation that left them stunned.
Elliot stood in the courtyard, his usual cheer replaced by confusion and disbelief. "Wait… what? Simone? The Crown Prince?" His voice trembled with disbelief. "Are you sure? There's no way he's—"
The girl beside him, Amara, who had also become close friends with Simone, shook her head in shock. "But he—he didn't act like a prince. He was so... so normal. He was a commoner like us! How could he have been hiding his true identity this whole time?"
"I don't know..." Elliot mumbled, rubbing his head. "He never told us... he never mentioned anything about his royal blood. He said he came from a family of farmers, a simple background. But now... now we find out he was a prince the entire time?"
Amara's eyes widened, and she felt a wave of guilt crash over her. "All those times we talked about the Imperial Family... I never thought he was one of them! He was so kind to us. He was always so different from the other nobles. I can't believe it."
The news had spread quickly, and soon the entire academy was abuzz with the startling truth. Simone, the quiet, reserved student who had always kept to himself, was now revealed to be the Crown Prince. His time at the academy—living as a commoner, not revealing his royal identity—was all part of a hidden life that none of them had even suspected.
At the same time, there was a new level of admiration and fear surrounding him. Those who had once believed him to be weak or unremarkable now realized just how dangerous he could be. The rumors of his power had begun to spread in hushed tones. He was no longer just the shy prince. He was the Crown Prince—powerful, cold, and untouchable.
Elliot and Amara, along with the rest of Simone's old friends, found themselves conflicted. The boy they had befriended, the one they had laughed with and confided in, was not who they had thought. And with his new title as Crown Prince, everything had changed.
"I don't get it," Elliot said, looking up at the palace from the academy grounds. "Why didn't he ever tell us? Why didn't he trust us with his secret?"
Amara's voice shook with uncertainty. "Maybe he didn't want us to treat him differently. Maybe he didn't want to be seen as a prince... or maybe he just wanted to live a normal life for once."
"But now he's the Crown Prince," Elliot replied bitterly, a sense of betrayal creeping into his words. "I don't know what to think anymore. It's like everything we knew about him was a lie."
The academy's commoners were left to reconcile their feelings. Some were deeply hurt, feeling betrayed by Simone's secret, while others respected his decision to live among them, even if it was under false pretenses. Still, the air was thick with the realization that they would never see Simone the same way again. He had always been just another face in the crowd to them, but now, the weight of his true identity and his position as Crown Prince made him untouchable.
And as the days passed, the truth became even clearer: Simone was no longer the commoner they had befriended. He had ascended to the highest position in the empire, and no matter how much they wished to continue their friendship, there was now a gulf between them—one forged by power, secrecy, and the consequences of his decision to leave the academy.
As for Simone, he had never intended to deceive them. But as his power grew stronger and his emotions grew colder, he realized that he no longer cared what anyone thought. He had been pushed into a position of authority by his father, the Emperor, and now that he had embraced it, the world would see him for who he truly was—whether they liked it or not.
The darkness in him only deepened, and his power, which had once been something to hide, was now something to wield with no apologies.