(Sia's old house — riverside)
A restless crowd had gathered near the worn riverside house. Whispers moved through them like wind through dry leaves as knights searched every corner.
Suddenly —
Hoofbeats.
Sharp.
Commanding.
Royal.
The sound cut through the murmurs.
In an instant the crowd stiffened.
People lowered their heads.
Knights dropped to one knee.
"Your Majesty…" Their voices rose in perfect unison.
The wooden door creaked open. stepped out slowly, his boots touching the dirt with quiet authority.
His gaze swept across the small, weather-beaten house — the cracked walls, the faded roof, the lonely silence surrounding it.
His expression darkened.
"Is this that woman's house?" he asked coldly.
"Yes, Your Majesty," a knight replied, head still bowed.
Eyan's eyes narrowed.
Leo pointed in this direction…
"Search the trees," he ordered.
"She's hiding somewhere nearby."
The knights bowed again and scattered into the thick line of trees bordering the river.
For a moment Eyan remained where he was.
Then he stepped forward, his sharp eyes scanning the shadows between the trunks.
---------------------------------------------
(Royal Palace — Sia's chamber)
Two hours after Sia left
Little Leo lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
His tiny fingers moved slowly in the air as he practiced the control exercises he had learned from Luca earlier that day.
Nothing happened.
He sat up with a frustrated sigh.
"Why is controlling my magic so hard…"
He lifted his hands and stared at them.
So small.
So weak.
"If only I were big… I could do it easily…" he murmured. "When will I grow up…"
A memory suddenly flickered through his mind.
---------------------------------------------------------
(Flashback — years ago)
(Royal Palace - Eyan's Chamber)
Night had already sunk deep into the palace.
The chamber was quiet… lit only by a single flickering candle.
On the wide bed lay , Eyan exhaustion written faintly on his face.
Across his chest, sprawled like a stubborn little starfish, was three-year-old Leo.
Eyan's large hand moved up and down the child's back in slow, patient rhythm.
"Sleep… just sleep…" he murmured under his breath.
But Leo's eyes were wide open — bright, curious, very much awake.
Eyan peeked down at him.
Their gazes met.
A long sigh escaped his lips.
Four hours.
For four long hours he had been trying to make this little boy sleep.
On other nights Leo would surrender after an hour… maybe two.
But tonight, sleep had abandoned them both.
Finally, Eyan pushed himself up, carefully lifting Leo and sitting him in front of him.
"My boy…" he said softly, brushing the messy strands of hair away from Leo's forehead.
"Why aren't you sleeping tonight? Tell me… what's troubling you?"
Leo pouted, thinking very seriously.
Then he said in a small voice,
"Leo want to grow up fast…"
Eyan blinked in surprise.
"Grow up fast? Why?"
The little boy suddenly stood on the mattress.
He grabbed Eyan's hand with both of his tiny ones and sat down on his lap.
Then he opened their palms side by side.
"Look…" Leo whispered.
"My hand is so tiny… I want big hands like you. I don't like my tiny hands… so I want to grow up fast."
For a moment, Eyan didn't say anything.
His gaze rested on those small fingers — soft, warm… fragile.
A strange ache tightened inside his chest.
He slowly closed Leo's tiny fist inside his own.
"But i like your tiny hands," he said quietly.
"They're soft… warm… they fit perfectly here."
His thumb began to brush gently over Leo's knuckles — almost absentmindedly, almost protectively.
Then… without warning…
He lifted Leo's hand to his lips.
And kissed it.
Once.
Then again.
As if he were sealing a promise.
Leo's eyes widened… then he giggled, his shoulders shaking with innocent laughter.
Eyan smiled — a rare smile that softened all the sharpness of his face.
"Don't grow up fast," he murmured, pulling Leo back against his chest as he lay down again.
"Stay small like this… stay where I can hold you."
His hand moved through Leo's hair slowly.
"If you grow up… you'll sleep in another room. You won't cling to me like this… You won't need me like this."
There was a quiet loneliness hidden beneath his teasing words.
Leo wrapped his arms tightly around his father's neck.
"No… Leo will sleep with father."
Eyan closed his eyes, holding him closer.
"Then don't grow up," he whispered into the child's hair.
----------------------------------------------------------
(Back to Present — Royal Palace, Sia's Chamber)
Leo was still staring at his hands.
Small.
Soft.
A faint smile slowly curved his lips.
"No… Father told me not to grow up so fast," he murmured to himself. "So I'll stay like this… but I'll work hard… I'll control my magic."
He clenched his tiny fists with determination.
__________________________________
(Sia's Old House — Evening, Riverside)
The search had lasted until the light itself began to fade.
Broken twigs lay scattered across the damp ground.
Boot marks covered the riverbank.
But there was no trace of her.
One by one, the knights returned from the trees and bowed.
"Your Majesty… there is no one. We searched everywhere."
Eyan stood near the edge of the clearing, his arms folded across his chest.
His gaze was fixed on the sinking sun — its dying light trembling over the slow river like shattered gold.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then, quietly but firmly—
"Stop the search."
The nearest knight straightened instantly.
"She's not here. It will be dark soon. Inform all units to withdraw. We continue tomorrow."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The order spread quickly.
Knights began moving, signaling to others, gathering equipment, mounting horses.
Yet the crowd remained.
Villagers stood at a distance, whispering anxiously, fear and curiosity tying them to the place.
One bold woman finally called out,
"Your Majesty… who are you searching for?"
Eyan did not even turn toward her.
Before he could speak, a Royal Knight Captain stepped forward, his voice loud and commanding.
"Silence!"
The murmurs died instantly.
"We are searching for a dangerous criminal," the captain announced. "A woman responsible for the murder of a noble. She has lived in this area under disguise."
Gasps spread through the crowd.
"A killer…? Here…?"
The captain's expression remained stern.
"You are to leave this place immediately. Do not wander near the riverside or forest after sunset. Royal Knights will guard this area through the night."
Fear finally overcame curiosity.
Villagers began stepping back… some whispering prayers, others glancing nervously toward the darkening trees.
Just then, a man in his fifties pushed his way forward and bowed deeply.
"Captain… if someone provides information about the woman… will there be a reward?"
The captain glanced at Eyan.
Receiving a slight nod, he turned back to the crowd.
"There is a Royal reward. Five thousand gold coins for useful information."
The reaction was explosive.
"Five thousand…?!"
Shock rippled through them.
Greed flickered behind widening eyes.
The man swallowed hard, then stepped closer.
"Then Sir… I have something to tell you."
At those words—
Eyan finally turned. His gaze landed on the man.
Cold.
Sharp.
The evening wind moved through the clearing… as silence tightened around them.
__________________________________
(Two Hours After Sia Left the Royal Palace — Afternoon, Streets of Velmoria)
The streets of Velmoria were alive with noise.
Merchants shouted.
Carriages rolled past.
Children ran between stalls like sparks of sunlight.
Through all of it… Sia walked.
Her face was fully revealed — no hood, no shadow to hide behind.
A red cloak swayed behind her with each step, the wind catching its edges like restless flames.
Beneath it, her green dress fluttered softly.
But her eyes… were distant.
Her mind was somewhere else.
She moved forward without seeing the people around her — without hearing the city.
Then suddenly—
Thud.
She bumped into someone.
Sia barely looked up.
"I apologise," she said quickly with a polite bow, already stepping aside to continue walking.
But before she could take another step—
A hand grabbed her wrist.
Sia froze.
Slowly… she turned.
A man stood there, holding her tightly, a crooked grin stretching across his face.
"Let my hand go," she said firmly.
The man chuckled.
"Beautiful lady… you just bumped into me. A simple apology won't do."
He pulled her hand closer to himself.
"How about a kiss… as compensation?"
For a second, Sia only stared at him.
Then a soft smile curved her lips.
"Oh My... you want a kiss?"
Encouraged, the man leaned closer, eyes already closing in anticipation.
That was his mistake.
Sia's expression turned cold.
Slap.
The sound cracked through the busy street.
Before he could even react—
She drove her knee straight into his manhood.
The man folded in on himself instantly, collapsing to the ground with a strangled cry of pain.
People nearby gasped and stepped back.
Sia calmly crouched beside him.
"My Lord… you didn't like the kiss from my hand and foot?"
The man could only whimper, clutching himself helplessly.
Her eyes showed no pity.
She gave him one final sharp kick before rising and walking away as if nothing had happened.
Her cloak flared behind her like anger given form.
Her jaw tightened.
"Why are all men the same…" she muttered bitterly.
"Why can't they just let me breathe…"
Her fingers curled into fists as she moved through the crowd.
"I hate men."
__________________________________
(South Side of Velmoria — Deep Forest, Afternoon)
The deeper Sia walked, the quieter the world became.
Leaves whispered above her.
Warm sunlight slipped through the thick branches in broken patterns, painting her face with gold and shadow.
Her eyes moved restlessly from tree to tree… from mound to hollow.
She sighed in frustration.
"Where did I dig the hole to bury my dresses…"
She tilted her head back.
The afternoon sun fell directly on her face, making her squint.
"I came here at midnight that day… it was completely dark," she muttered. "I can only see clearly at night…"
She rubbed her tired eyes and looked around again.
"Am I an owl or something…"
Her lips tightened.
"There isn't much time left…"
A worried thought crossed her mind.
"Leo is covering for me too… he even sent his father to the opposite side, to the north… to my house… just so I wouldn't get into trouble…"
Guilt pricked her chest.
She slowly closed her eyes.
"Looks like I'll have to wait until night."
A faint whisper escaped her lips.
"Forgive me, Leo…"
(Night — Deep Forest, South Side of Velmoria)
Darkness had swallowed the forest completely.
No silver glow. No guiding light.
Sia lifted her face toward the empty sky.
"Today is a new moon…"
From a distance, she was almost invisible — her form dissolving into the thick black of the woods as if she belonged to it more than to the world of men.
A faint smile touched her lips.
"This is perfect…"
She pulled the cloak down from her head and let it fall around her shoulders.
"I don't need to hide my face… no one can see me anyway."
She closed her eyes.
And began to walk.
Her steps were slow… sure… soundless.
Roots did not trip her. Branches did not brush her.
It was as if the darkness itself whispered directions into her ears.
After some time, she stopped.
A quiet satisfaction flickered across her face.
"This is the place."
She knelt and began digging the ground with her bare hands.
Cold soil gathered under her nails. Damp earth stained her skin.
Panic slowly began tightening inside her chest.
"It has to be that man I met that night… only he saw me…" she muttered breathlessly. "He must be the killer…"
Her movements grew faster, rougher.
"If my cloak isn't here… then he took it…"
She kept digging.
"I dug a three-foot hole that night… it took me so long…" A strained laugh escaped her. "And now I don't even have tools… only my hands."
She exhaled sharply.
"This is going to take a while."
A voice answered from the darkness behind her.
"Right. This is going to take a while."
Sia froze.
Her hand stopped mid-motion.
Her breath vanished.
That voice…
Fear wrapped around her throat like invisible fingers.
She did not turn.
She did not move.
She only listened.
Behind her — at a short distance — Eyan stood like a silent executioner carved from shadow.
The faint rustle of steel broke the stillness.
He drew his sword.
A cold line of metal came to rest against her neck. From the corner of her eye she could see the sharp tip… steady… merciless.
"We meet again," he said quietly.
Her heart pounded so loudly she was certain he could hear it.
How did His Majesty find this place…
His voice came again — calm, cutting deeper than the blade itself.
"Are you looking for the cloak you left near the dead body of that noble?"
For a brief second, her mind raced.
Lie.
Run.
Fight.
But something inside her shattered.
There was no escape from a king's sword.
There is no point hiding it…
This is the end… I'll be executed by this very blade.
Her voice trembled despite her effort to stay steady.
"Yes… I'm looking for my cloak."
She felt him step closer.
The air itself grew heavier.
Your majesty… make it quick, she prayed silently. So I won't feel the pain…
The forest remained dark… unmoving…
As if waiting for the moment the sword would fall.
.
.
To be continued—