The sun hung high in the sky, its golden light spilling over the kingdom like a warm embrace. From my balcony, I could see everything—the rolling hills that stretched beyond the palace walls, the towering peaks of the distant mountains, their snow-capped crowns gleaming in the daylight. The land was endless, a vast world brimming with possibilities, and yet, I stood here, confined to the same marble floors, the same expectations, the same invisible chains.
A gentle breeze brushed against my face, carrying the scent of fresh earth and distant rain. Below, the people of Valeria moved through the streets—merchants arranging their stalls, children darting through the crowds with laughter on their lips, travelers heading toward unknown destinations with nothing but the road ahead of them. Free. They were all free. Free to wake up and decide who they wanted to be, free to change, to chase dreams, to live.
I exhaled slowly, letting the longing settle in my chest like an ache I had no cure for.
Then, movement caught my eye.
A single black bird soared across the sky, its dark wings slicing through the bright blue expanse. It moved effortlessly, drifting along the currents of the wind, unbound by duty or expectation. No walls contained it, no rules dictated where it could go. It simply flew.
I watched it in silence, my pulse slowing, my breath deepening. Something about it pulled at me—an unspoken connection, a quiet yearning.
Lifting my hand, I stretched it out toward the sky, toward the bird, as if I could grasp its freedom, as if I could be it. My fingers hovered in the air, empty, reaching for something just beyond my grasp.
I wanted to be that bird.
I wanted to fly, to drift wherever the wind carried me, to see the world without chains dragging me back. I wanted to move through life like that bird did—with nothing but the sky ahead and the earth below, with no one to tell me where I belonged.
The bird banked suddenly, turning toward the mountains, disappearing beyond the peaks.
I let my hand fall.
A thought settled in my mind, quiet but certain.
One day, I would fly. One day, I would stretch my hand toward the horizon, and I wouldn't just dream.
Beyond the palace, the world felt open—vast, untamed, free. But here, inside this gilded cage, I could barely breathe.
I wasn't sure how long I had been standing there, lost in my thoughts, when soft footsteps whispered across the floor behind me. A gentle hand touched my shoulder.
"Kaizen?"
I turned and met bright green eyes. My younger sister Mia, she was twelve, but she carried herself with a kind of quiet wisdom beyond her years. Her golden-blonde hair, a shade lighter than mine, shimmered in the fading light. Unlike me, Mia thrived here. She embraced her lessons, her magic, her role in this family.
"What are you thinking about?"
I hesitated. She wouldn't understand. Or maybe she would—more than anyone else.
"Nothing much, just the future I guess."
Mia leaned against the balcony beside me, tracing a finger along the stone. "me too," she said, her voice light but thoughtful. "Mom's been pushing me with magic lessons, and it's a lot... but it's fun."
Fun.
The word felt foreign on my tongue. I remembered when learning had been fun—before I was expected to become something I didn't want to be. Before responsibilities had pressed down on me, draining the joy from everything.
A familiar voice interrupted my thoughts. "Kaizen are you out here?"
I turned to see her—Mother.
Anastasia stood in the doorway, bathed in the soft glow of the sunlight. Platinum blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing a face both regal and warm. Her green eyes, the same as Mia's, held quiet strength. A powerful mage, a leader, a queen—she was everything I wasn't.
"Mia," she said with a smile, "how are your studies?"
Mia straightened, her shyness melting under our mother's gaze. "I'm learning a new spell! It's tricky, but I think I'm getting better."
Anastasia knelt, brushing a hand over Mia's hair. "You will. Magic comes from the heart, and yours is full of it."
Mia's cheeks turned pink with pride.
"Show your brother," Mother encouraged.
Mia beamed and took a step back, raising her hand. She closed her eyes, lips moving in quiet concentration. "Aqua Lumia."
A faint shimmer sparked at her fingertips before swirling into a delicate orb of blue light. It hovered for a few seconds, flickering like a tiny star, before vanishing with a soft pop.
Mia glanced at me, uncertain.
"It was beautiful," I told her.
She smiled, but shrugged. "It's just a small trick."
Mother placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's not the size of the magic, Mia. It's the heart behind it."
I looked away, staring back at the horizon. Magic. It had always come so easily to them. To Mother. To Mia. To nearly everyone in this kingdom. But not to me. I had nothing like that—nothing to claim as my own.
"Kaizen?" Mother's voice was softer now.
I forced myself to meet her gaze.
"I feel like I'm just… here," I admitted. "Trapped between what's expected of me and what I actually want."
She studied me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, she nodded.
"I understand."
I wanted to believe her, but how could she? She had power—a place where she belonged.
"Find what moves your heart," she said. "Then you will know your path."
A bitter laugh almost escaped me. "And what if nothing moves my heart?"
She exhaled softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from my forehead. "Your sixteenth birthday is coming, Kaizen. It's the age when you will be given your role—when you start your own path."
I stiffened. I had been trying to forget. Sixteen was when my life would be decided for me.
Connor had been named heir. Marcus had joined the royal guard, now became leader. They had purpose. They had something to fight for.
And me?
"I know," I muttered. "But what if I don't want to be assigned a role? What if I don't want any of it?"
"Kaizen," Mother said gently, "we've talked about this before. You have a—"
"Duty," I finished for her.
She sighed. "We love you, Kaizen. This is how our world works."
"You love me," I corrected. "Father doesn't."
Her lips parted slightly, but she said nothing for a moment. Then, "That's not true."
"Isn't it?" My voice was quiet, but firm. "He's never looked at me the same since I told him I wanted to choose what I want. Like I was already a disappointment."
Mother's expression softened. "Your father—"
"He doesn't respect me," I cut in. "Not the way he respects Connor. Or Marcus."
"Kaizen, he just—"
"He just believes duty matters more than anything else," I finished bitterly.
Mother didn't deny it.
She reached for my arm, her touch warm but heavy with unspoken words. "I know you feel trapped. But duty and desire don't have to be enemies."
I wanted to believe that. But I didn't.
A deep voice cut through the night.
"Anastasia. Mia. Kaizen."
I froze.
Father.
King Demitri's presence filled the space as he stepped onto the balcony. His black hair, streaked with silver, framed a face carved from stone. Green eyes—colder than Mia's, sharper than Mother's—settled on me.
The weight of his gaze pressed down like armor too heavy to wear.
"Kaizen," he said, voice edged with steel, "we need to talk."
Mia squeezed my hand before stepping back. Mother touched my shoulder lightly, then guided Mia inside, leaving me alone with him.
Silence stretched between us.
"You've been avoiding your responsibilities," he said finally.
I exhaled slowly. "I haven't been avoiding them. I just… don't see the point."
"The point?" His jaw tightened. "You are a prince of Valeria. Your duty is not a choice—it's who you are."
I met his gaze, anger stirring in my chest. "Then why does it feel like a prison?"
His eyes darkened. "You think Marcus had a choice? You think Connor hasn't felt the weight of being heir since the day he could walk? We all carry burdens, Kaizen. If you are born with the last name Valor you have to bear the weight of it."
"But I'm not like them," I shot back. "I don't want to be chained to a title I never asked for."
"You are selfish," he said coldly. "You think freedom is just walking away from your kingdom? From your people?"
"Maybe I don't want to be the prince you expect me to be," I muttered.
A dangerous silence followed.
Then, he took a step closer. "Your birthday is coming. And with it, responsibilities you cannot run from."
The finality in his tone sent a chill through me.
I clenched my jaw, staring past him at the night sky. Somewhere out there, beyond these walls, freedom waited. But I wasn't sure if I'd ever reach it.
"Think on this, Kaizen," he said before turning away. "Because soon, you'll have no choice."
His footsteps faded into the hall, leaving me alone.
I looked up at the stars, longing twisting in my chest.
"no choice... Yeah I know"
Somewhere out there was a world beyond duty. A world of choice. And I would find it.