Late at Night
Selena was sleeping in her royal room. Her red hair lay across the pillow, and her small face looked peaceful.
Suddenly—
"Bang! Bang!"
The door opened quickly. A servant came in, breathing hard. His face was pale, and his eyes were full of fear.
Servant (softly, kneeling): "Miss Selena… Prince Arthur… he was attacked. He was shot! The King came to save him himself!"
Selena opened her eyes slowly. Then she jumped out of bed without saying a word and ran to the servant.
Selena (worried): "My brother Arthur… is he alive? Did you see him?!"
Servant (looking down): "The doctors are helping him now… he lost a lot of blood…"
Selena didn't wait. She ran out of the room barefoot, wearing only her soft blue nightgown. As she ran through the halls, she remembered Arthur smiling in the garden, joking at the party, and then imagined his body… covered in blood.
At the clinic door, a guard stopped her.
Guard (kneeling): "M-Miss Selena, the doctor is inside now. The King ordered—"
Selena (angrily): "I don't need permission to see my brother."
She pushed the door open.
"Bang!!"
Inside, the room was bright with white lights. Blood stains were still on the floor. Arthur was lying on the bed, half-covered in bandages. His skin was pale, his red hair stuck to his sweaty forehead. He wasn't moving.
Selena stood in the doorway, shocked. Then she slowly walked toward him, her steps shaking.
Selena (whispering): "You idiot… how dare you try to die without my permission?"
She came closer and held his warm hand. She closed her eyes, trying not to cry… but one tear fell.
Selena (quietly): "You were always so full of yourself… loud, proud, thinking you're unbeatable. I hated you for that."
She touched the bandaged area on his chest.
Selena: "But… I also loved you. I loved you no matter what… even when you hurt me with your stupid words."
Suddenly, a very soft voice was heard—
Arthur (whispering): "Selena… don't shout…"
She looked up, eyes full of tears.
Selena: "Arthur?!"
Arthur (smiling weakly): "You're annoying… even when I'm dying."
Selena froze, then hit his chest lightly. He didn't feel pain—he just laughed a little before falling silent again.
Selena (crying with a smile): "Idiot…"
⸻
The Next Morning
Selena sat by her window, looking outside with deep thoughts in her heart. She could still hear Arthur's breathing… see his smile, even covered in blood… hear his jokes.
Selena (to herself): "Why couldn't I hate him completely? And… why can't I hate my father either?"
She stood and walked to the wall where royal family pictures were hung. One big picture was covered with gray cloth. She slowly removed it.
It was a painting of Cirrus when he was about sixteen. He looked younger, but still had the same powerful eyes. He wore his royal clothes.
Selena (whispering): "Arthur… looks just like him."
She touched the glass gently.
Selena: "But Arthur screams to be heard… and you stay silent. Which one of you… is more afraid?"
She sat in front of the picture, resting her head on the wall.
Selena (thinking): "Father never told us anything about his past. We never heard about his parents… only stories of killing… fire… and blood."
She stared into Cirrus's eyes in the picture.
Selena (to the picture): "But no one is born a monster… right? I'll find out everything. Even if I'm the only one who wants the truth… I'll search the ashes until I find it."
As she left the room, she looked at the picture one last time.
Selena (whispering): "Who were you… before you became the King of Fire?"
⸻
Outside the Palace
Selena walked quietly through the halls, then out into the palace garden. Pine trees stood tall, red flowers filled the stone pots. She stopped suddenly when she saw someone near the fountain.
It was an old man sitting on a wooden chair, cleaning a small flower pot. His name was Julian. His bald head shone in the morning sun, and the rest of his hair was white. His face had many wrinkles, but it was not weak—it was the face of a man who saw kingdoms rise and fall.
Selena (softly): "Hello… Julian…"
She walked closer.
Julian (smiling weakly): "Ah, Miss Selena. I didn't expect you this early."
Selena (looking into his eyes): "I was looking for you."
Julian (wiping his hands): "Sit down."
She sat quietly, watching him.
Selena: "You were there… when my father was born, right?"
Julian (smiling): "Yes. I was the first to hold him after his mother. His hands were warm back then… they didn't know fire yet."
Selena (carefully): "Was he… different?"
Julian stayed quiet, then sighed deeply—like he was pulling out 70 years of memory.
Julian: "King Cirrus… was the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen. His grey eyes were curious and full of dreams… just like yours."
Selena (sad): "But… what changed him? How did he become like this? A king with no mercy… a killer with no feelings?"
Julian looked up at the sky.
Julian: "If I knew… I would've stopped him. But he never told anyone. He never cried. One day, he just… changed."
Selena: "There must be a reason! No one is born evil. No one becomes a monster for nothing!"
Julian (standing slowly): "You're right. That's why I'll tell you what I know. It's not much… but when your father was born, it was a great day in the Kaji Kingdom. I remember it like yesterday."
Selena (eagerly): "Tell me."
Julian (smiling): "He was the most beautiful child I ever held. His skin was soft like silk. His red hair was already burning when he was born. Queen Charlotte… cried from joy."
⸻
[Flashback – 40 Years Ago]
The birthing room was full of white flowers and royal perfume. Young King Jiro held his first son in his arms. Beside him, Queen Charlotte smiled on the bed.
Jiro: "We will name him Cirrus… after the sacred fire that protects the Yukaji bloodline."
Charlotte (smiling): "Let him be our first fire prince… but warmer than us. I hope he has a heart that knows kindness."
The servants whispered happily. Julian was a young servant then, with brown wavy hair. He stood proudly near the door.
Julian (thinking): "A new era has begun."
⸻
[Back to the Present – Garden]
Selena (smiling softly): "I never imagined him as a loved child."
Julian: "Everyone loved him. He was shy but smart. He used to hide behind curtains when strangers came, and I would chase after him."
Selena: "When was Uncle Akako born?"
Julian: "Three years later. Then Princess Amisa two years after that. Cirrus loved his brother Akako. They played in the garden every morning… and he held Amisa like a treasure."
⸻
[Flashback – Cirrus Age 6]
Laughter filled the royal gardens. Young Cirrus chased little Akako.
Cirrus: "Got you! Now you're the monster!"
Akako (laughing): "No! Akako's not a monster!"
Queen Charlotte watched with pride under a cherry tree. Julian held baby Amisa gently nearby.
⸻
[Flash Forward – One Year Later]
Cirrus was now seven. His face had changed—he didn't smile much. His eyes lost their shine. One day, Akako gave him a small flower.
Akako (smiling): "This is for you, Siro…"
Cirrus (coldly): "Stop acting like a child! Flowers are useless. They die!"
Akako (hurt): "But… I just wanted—"
Cirrus (angrily slaps him): "Shut up! You're stupid!"
Akako fell and cried.
Later that evening, Princess Amisa was also crying. A servant whispered to Julian—
Servant: "He hit the little princess… just because she asked him to read a story with her."
Julian (shocked): "That's not the Cirrus we knew…"
[Back to the Present – In the Garden with Selena]
Selena (shocked, staring at the ground): "He changed… at just seven years old? That fast?"
Julian (serious): "It was like darkness entered him in one night… and never left. No one knew why. Not the King, not the Queen… not even me. He didn't get sick. He didn't have an accident. He just woke up one day… and he wasn't the same child anymore."
Selena (whispering): "What did they do?"
Julian (with a heavy voice): "They tried everything. The Queen cried a lot. The King tried to teach him with wisdom. But Cirrus pushed everyone away. He stopped playing… stopped hugging… started to hate his brother and sister, like they were enemies. And he knew what he was doing. At first, it wasn't obvious. No one imagined the laughing little boy could become… something else."
Selena (softly): "So it happened slowly?"
Julian (closing his eyes to remember): "Yes… slowly. It started with small fits of anger. He would scream suddenly, throw things if he didn't get his way. Then he began hitting the servants, breaking things… and sometimes he laughed while doing it."
⸻
[Flashback – A Dark Hall in Kaji Palace, Midnight]
Eight-year-old Cirrus stood in a shadowy hallway, staring at a wall. Behind him, a servant lay on the ground, groaning in pain—his hands were badly burned.
Maid (running toward Julian, panicking): "The prince! He burned the servant's hands—just because… he didn't open the door fast enough!"
Julian (rushing to Cirrus): "Young master, what did you do?!"
Cirrus (coldly, without looking): "He was slow… but fire is faster."
⸻
[Flashback – Royal Training Grounds, Age 8]
Servants and guards gathered to watch the prince's first fire display. Cirrus stood in the middle of the training area, eyes blank, hand raised.
Trainer (nervously): "Please, young prince… just a small spark. That's all."
Cirrus (quietly, lifting one finger): "They want fire? I'll give them something unforgettable."
"Fsssshhh!!"
A dark flame exploded from his hand, forming a ring of black fire that burned the ground. The soldiers jumped back in fear.
Guard (yelling): "Get back! That's not normal fire!!"
Trainer (terrified): "Stop! You'll hurt someone!"
Cirrus (calmly): "Who said that matters?"
Then he threw a massive fireball at the wall, destroying part of it.
⸻
[Back to the Present]
Julian (looking down, his voice heavy): "I had never seen such black fire. His power was stronger than his father's… at just eight years old. It was like fire was just… given to him. A gift he didn't even need to work for."
Selena (softly, almost afraid to ask): "What about my grandparents… King Jiro and Queen Charlotte? No one ever told me… I only knew they… died."
Julian (closing his eyes, voice full of pain): "They didn't just die, my lady… they were murdered. And the one who did it… was their son. Your father. Cirrus."
Selena (pulling back in shock, eyes wide): "W-What?!"
Julian (lost in the memory): "It happened in one night… he was only sixteen. No one saw it coming. Not even his own father."
⸻
[Flashback – Kaji Throne Room, 24 Years Ago]
The palace was quiet. Most people were asleep. Cirrus entered the throne room, wearing his elegant formal outfit. His red hair moved gently, and his grey eyes shone in the dark.
King Jiro sat on the throne, signing papers. Julian was nearby, cleaning.
Jiro (smiling gently): "Strange… why are you awake at this hour, Cirrus?"
Cirrus (walking slowly): "I wanted to show you something… Father."
Jiro (raising an eyebrow): "And what is it?"
Cirrus pulled out a strange weapon. It was thin and long, dark red like burning metal. Its blade looked like frozen fire, with jagged edges like a dragon's mouth.
Jiro (standing slowly, now serious): "Cirrus… where did you get that weapon? Drop it, now!"
Cirrus (calmly): "This weapon… is not from this kingdom. Just like I'm not part of it anymore."
Jiro (grabbing his royal sword): "I knew your heart had changed… but I never thought it would come to this. You would kill your own father… while looking into his eyes?!"
Cirrus (coldly smiling): "Feelings are chains. And you've chained me for years, Father."
Jiro (lowering his head in sorrow): "Then I've truly lost you."
Cirrus (stepping forward): "No… I've finally found myself. The truth was buried under your lies."
Jiro (raising his sword): "I won't let you burn this throne. Not while I live!"
Cirrus (raising his weapon): "Then burn with it."
BOOM!
Flames burst from Cirrus's feet as he charged. Jiro blocked the first strike, then more came.
Clang!
Crack!
BOOM!
Each blow from Cirrus came with explosive power. The pillars shook. But Jiro stood his ground—he was still a king, still a warrior… even against his own son.
Jiro (sweating, yelling): "This… this isn't the Yukaji fire!"
Cirrus (like a voice from hell): "I'm not like you. I am the true strength of the Yukaji!"
Then, with one great leap, Cirrus landed and struck Jiro straight in the chest.
Jiro (trying to defend): "Ughhh!!"
CRAAAAACK!!!
The weapon went through his heart. Jiro gasped… then dropped to his knees.
Julian (running): "Your Majesty!!! NO!!!"
Jiro (whispering weakly): "My son… I thought your fire would warm us… not burn us…"
He fell to the ground… dead.
Julian (kneeling beside the king, crying): "He died… by his own son's hand."
Cirrus (turning away): "No… he died by the hand of someone more worthy of the throne."
He stood before the throne… looked at it… then sat down coldly.
⸻
[Back to the Present – Royal Garden]
Selena (hand over her mouth, shaking): "No… it can't be…"
Julian (with a heavy voice): "He killed his mother too… minutes later. I wasn't there. Cirrus locked me in a cell. Then he held a fake funeral… coldly and proudly."
Selena (almost crying): "And no one stopped him?! What about the other leaders? The army? The family?!"
Julian (eyes tearing): "Anyone who spoke… burned."
Selena (shaky, but growing firm): "I always thought he was just a strict king… but the truth is… I'm the daughter of a cold-blooded killer."
Julian (placing his shaking hand on hers): "But you're not him, my lady. As long as you can cry for those you love… you'll never be like him."
Selena suddenly dropped her head and covered her face. Silent tears flowed from her grey eyes. She didn't scream… didn't break… but she cried like someone with no place to send her pain.
Selena (sobbing): "Why, Father? Why did you do all of this?"
Julian stepped closer and gently put his hand on her shoulder.
Julian: "Even the coldest hearts… start with a warm beat. No one is born a monster."
Then he opened his arms. Selena collapsed into him, burying her face in his old robe, smelling of grass and soil. Julian hugged her like a child who had lost her home.
Julian (whispering, stroking her head): "I'm sorry… sorry you inherited this dark legacy. Sorry I stayed silent when I should've spoken."
Selena (between sobs): "Will I… become like him?"
Julian (gently but firmly): "You are not him… You never were. You are the last light from Charlotte… the Queen who dreamed of children with kind hearts."
Selena's lips trembled. She slowly nodded, then stepped back and wiped her tears. A few moments later, she walked back into the palace. Her face was pale, marked by tears. Her grey eyes looked dim, as if something inside her was broken forever.
She walked through the quiet hallways. Servants and guards noticed her strange expression, her silent tears.
Young maid (softly): "Miss Selena… are you okay? Your face…"
Selena (without stopping, eyes on the floor): "Leave me alone."
Her voice was low… but cold enough to make everyone step back. No one said another word. Selena kept walking, alone in the long hallway.
To be continued…