Billy... where are you, my little beast? Come to me."
Billy's eyes snapped open. He sat up, his heart racing as the voice echoed in his ears. It was her—his mother. Without hesitation, he swung his legs out of bed, slipped on his shoes, and quietly left his room.
The hallways were dimly lit by the soft glow of magic cores embedded in the walls. Shadows danced on the marble floors as he moved cautiously forward.
"Now, which way?" he murmured, scanning his surroundings.
The lights to his left flickered briefly, catching his attention. He followed them, his steps hesitant yet guided by curiosity and a strange sense of purpose. At the end of the hallway, he encountered a fork.
"Right or left?"
The lights on the right flickered this time, and he quickened his pace.
"Hurry, little one," came the soft, familiar whisper.
Billy's heart pounded. He wanted to trust the voice, but doubt gnawed at the edges of his mind. Suddenly, he heard muffled voices up ahead. Guards.
"Dammit, they're coming this way. What do I do?" he whispered, his pulse quickening.
"Be strong, Billy," the whisper reassured him.
He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves.
The guards rounded the corner, their boots echoing softly in the corridor. Billy froze in place, ready to retreat, when a figure emerged from the shadows behind them. It was a young man, his hands buried in his pockets as he walked briskly toward the guards. His downcast expression didn't mask his determined stride.
"Stop right there!" one of the guards barked.
Billy's eyes widened. That voice—it was familiar. As the man raised his head, recognition flashed through him.
"Agent Smith! Agent Buckler!" Billy called out, his voice filled with relief.
The guards turned sharply, their faces shifting from suspicion to shock as they recognized the prince.
"Prince Billy," Agent Buckler said, stepping forward. "What are you doing out here at this hour?"
"The lights... they've been flickering," Billy began, pointing down the hallway. "And... she's calling me."
The two agents exchanged uneasy glances.
"Be careful, Billy," Agent Smith said quietly, leaning closer. "Queen Elara's eyes are everywhere."
With a nod, they stepped aside, allowing Billy to continue his journey.
The flickering lights grew steady as he ventured deeper into the forbidden corridors. A strange sense of unease settled over him. He stopped, glancing around the dim hallway. Something was wrong.
"You shouldn't be here, kid," a voice echoed coldly.
Billy spun around to see his stepbrother, Kai, emerging from the shadows. He held a bow, its string pulled taut, an arrow aimed directly at him.
Billy's breath caught.
"Do your thing, man," he said, his voice steady despite the tension. "I know you don't like me."
Kai grinned wickedly and let the arrow fly.
Billy ducked just in time, the arrow slicing through the air above him. Without giving Kai a chance to reload, he surged forward, sliding into a tackle that knocked his stepbrother off balance. Kai hit the ground hard, and by the time he scrambled to his feet, Billy was gone.
Billy sprinted through the hallway, his heart pounding like a war drum. The flickering lights were gone now, replaced by a heavy silence. Turning a corner, he skidded to a halt. A group of guards stood waiting, their eyes glowing an eerie red.
Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
He turned to flee and ran straight into Kai. This time, his stepbrother held a knife, its blade gleaming wickedly in the dim light.
Billy backed away, his mind racing for an escape. But before he could act, one of the guards struck him sharply on the head.
Pain exploded behind his eyes, and his vision blurred. As he sank into unconsciousness, he could hear his mother's voice, soft and full of sorrow.
"I'm sorry, my son. Be strong."
Darkness swallowed him whole.
Billy's body slumped against the cold floor, the sound of his fall echoing down the hallway. Kai stood above him, the knife still in his hand, his face contorted with a mix of anger and uncertainty. He raised the blade, ready to strike, when suddenly—
"What is this commotion at this hour?"
The voice came from behind them, strong and commanding. Both Kai and the guards froze, their eyes wide in shock. Billy's father, King Morphine, stood at the entrance of the hallway, his regal presence a stark contrast to the tense scene before him. The magic cores dimly lit his face, his expression unreadable.
The guards quickly turned to face the king.
"Sire... Prince Billy... he... he was disobeying orders," one of the guards stammered. "We caught him wandering the halls at this hour. Agent Buckler and Agent Smith tried to stop him, but..."
The King's gaze fell on Billy, his eyes softening momentarily. Then his gaze shifted to Kai.
Kai's grip on the knife tightened in fear, and as he moved to hold it more firmly, it slipped from his hand, clattering against the floor. The sound seemed to echo even louder in the silence that followed.
King Morphine raised an eyebrow, his piercing gaze locking onto Kai. The tension in the air was palpable.
"You... were going to harm him?" the King asked, his voice quiet but filled with an intensity that made Kai's heart race.
Kai's face paled, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled for words. In the end, all that came out was a stammered, "I... I... no, Father. It's not like that..."
Before Kai could explain further, the King's eyes narrowed, and with one swift motion, Kai picked up the knife from the ground, his hand trembling. He didn't dare look his father in the eye.
"Then why is this knife in your hand?" the King asked coldly, his gaze still fixed on his son.
Kai's shoulders sagged in defeat, but he said nothing. Without another word, he turned and walked away, disappearing down the hallway as quickly as he had appeared.
The King then turned to the guards, his voice firm.
"Leave him to me," he said, his command final. "I will handle this."
The guards hesitated for a moment, exchanging wary looks, but they nodded and, without question, retreated, leaving the unconscious Billy in his father's care.
King Morphine knelt down beside his son, his gaze softening as he gently placed a hand on Billy's shoulder.
"My son," he whispered, the concern in his voice evident. "What are you getting yourself into?"
The king paused, staring down at his son with a complicated expression. There was something brewing beneath the surface—something dangerous—and he knew it. But for now, he would protect Billy.
With a deep sigh, he picked Billy up, cradling him in his arms, and carried him back to his chambers, where the rest of the palace's secrets would wait until morning.