Seris moved hurriedly, her footsteps light as she managed to spare Malcolm a glance. Her eyes darted restlessly, unable to focus on him—or on anything, for that matter.
To tell you the truth, Seris was quite nervous. And when she got nervous, she had this strange tendency to lose focus.
It was...
Scary.
Really scary.
She was being forced into some dumb position of power. She would have to make decisions she didn't want to make, hurt people she didn't want to hurt, and, most importantly...
She would have to leave her home.
All of it together made her strange little tic almost unbearable. Her eyes moved sporadically, flicking across the pristine castle corridor as though searching for an escape that didn't exist.
Though she was nervous, Seris's stubbornness outweighed any reasonable sense. She continued forward, determined to get these royal formalities over with as quickly as possible.
She was almost running now, her pristine glass slippers clacking loudly against the polished floor as she hurried toward the exit.
Malcolm didn't even bother trying to stop her. He simply stared blankly after her, quietly relieved that she had actually listened for once.
The world around Seris was spinning. She was rapidly losing her balance, and to top it all off, she could feel the meal she'd eaten the night before begging to be brought back up.
It was far too late, though.
She should have thought about that before running off.
Or at least, she would have thought that.
*****
From Malcolm's perspective, everything happened in a flash.
One second, Seris was running.
The next, she was falling, a hurl of vomit following her descent.
Still, he held onto hope—or at least some part of him did. He knew too well that not much could ever go wrong inside the castle.
Specifically because he was here.
Malcolm's belief was grounded firmly in reality.
A second later, the distinct sound of shattering glass echoed through the crimson halls of Castle Moonscoren.
The Crown Prince had arrived.
Or rather, he had appeared.
The instant the sound became audible, Seris froze in place. The remnants of her stomach froze alongside her, suspended in midair.
A towering young man emerged through the chaos, his presence commanding attention immediately. His skin resembled polished quartz—immaculate, pale, and seemingly untouched by the imperfections of the mortal world. Beneath dark locks of alabaster hair, crimson eyes gleamed with startling vigor, sharp and vibrant as fresh-spilled blood.
Crouched just beyond the reach of his sister's putrid regurgitation, he observed the scene in silence.
The stench and filth spread outward in a sickening splash, yet not a single drop dared stain his pristine black suit. It was as though time itself bent and conformed to his will.
"Hey, Ser. You know? You're really lucky to have such an incredible, outstanding, unbelievably talented brother like me!"
At the moment, Seris was quite literally frozen in time, so as much as she would have liked to respond to her brother's ridiculous remarks, it was impossible.
Malcolm finally decided to move his old bones and investigate what was going on. More importantly, he wanted to thank the prince.
The butler bowed deeply, placing one hand over his heart while the other rested behind his back in a clenched fist.
"Prince Aeris! This lowly servant is deeply grateful for your assistance. I am ashamed of my incompetence. Please discipline me as you deem fit."
Aeris glanced over at Malcolm, one brow lifting slightly. He let out a weary sigh.
"Malcolm, you know I wouldn't do something so barbaric."
He paused before continuing.
"But even so, there's no need to thank me. You know I exist to serve my people. Anyway, my father sent me to retrieve Seris personally, so your assistance won't be necessary today."
His gaze softened slightly.
"Go get some rest."
With that, Aeris dismissed the butler.
The old man looked utterly exhausted. Sweat soaked through his collar and trickled down from his temples, all the way to his slightly uneven socks.
Turning his attention back to Seris, Aeris continued his narcissistic rambling for a little while longer.
Then he waved his hand.
The space around his dear sister began to shift and distort. Time moved once again, but instead of advancing forward...
It reversed.
The vomit Seris had expelled promptly re-entered her body. Even the stains splattered across her silk-white dress vanished, leaving the fabric spotless.
The nervousness churning inside her seemed to fade as well.
It was almost as if she had never left her room.
"Well, it's nice to know your tongue hasn't lost its edge, Aeris."
Aeris stood, effortlessly towering over Seris and making her look like a little girl by comparison. Though she admittedly resembled one at times, she was already fifteen.
If nothing else, his height was the thing that annoyed her most about him.
"Listen, Seris. I know you might not want to hear this."
He glanced out one of Castle Moonscoren's towering windows.
"Especially not from me."
For a moment, his usual smug demeanor faded.
"Don't let this ceremony get to you. It's nothing more than a formality. The most dramatic change you'll face is moving into the Congress House."
He folded his arms.
"And if it's your quality of life you're worried about, trust me—very little is actually going to change."
Aeris turned back toward her.
His posture straightened slightly, his muscles tensing as though he were trying to find the right words.
"Regardless... if you need help, I'll be there."
His voice softened.
"Every step of the way."
Seris stared at her brother.
For once, she didn't know what to say.
She didn't know what to think, either.
The anxiety he'd calmed was already beginning to creep back into her chest, slowly tightening its grip.
But before it could fully take hold, Aeris extended a hand and gently rested it on her shoulder.
A simple gesture.
Yet somehow, it steadied her.
"Let's go, Ser. Everything will be fine."
His crimson eyes met hers.
"I'll make sure of it."
For the first time that morning, Seris felt herself relax, if only slightly.
Without another word, the two siblings began walking side by side down the corridor. Their footsteps echoed softly through the crimson halls as sunlight poured through the towering windows.
At the very end of the corridor stood a pair of enormous silver doors engraved with the crest of House Moonscoren.
The doors slowly swung open before them.
Beyond lay the path to the coronation.
Together, Aeris and Seris stepped through the threshold and disappeared into the light.