The moon shone on Helios's mansion. Inside, he was tossing and turning in his bed.
"Hello, child," a voice echoed in Helios's dream.
"Who are you?" Helios screamed into the void, his chest heaving with terror.
"Me? I'm whatever you want me to be," the voice replied in a calm, melodic tone.
"Why don't you show yourself?" Helios demanded, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and defiance.
A human form began to coalesce in front of him. It looked as if it were swallowing the light, yet it simultaneously birthed light out of the darkness. It was a shapeshifter, flickering from a human figure into something incomprehensible that Helios's mind struggled to grasp.
"What are you?" Helios asked, stepping back and staring at the entity with wide, frantic eyes.
"Me? I'm the one who started it all and can end it all," the voice said. "My introduction isn't important since I came here to see you—the future Tyrant Sovereign," the voice added with an amused, haunting chuckle. "Your future is quite interesting. I just have to warn you before you fall: you can never bring back what is gone, my child."
The figure leaned closer, patting Helios's head with a cold, ethereal touch. The dream shattered. Helios sat up abruptly, his skin slick with sweat and his breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Human, did you see him?" Circlet's voice echoed in Helios's mind, sounding uncharacteristically curious.
"Who is 'him'?" Helios asked in a quiet, strained whisper.
"Father. The person who created me... and you," Circlet said, his tone suggesting that this was a truth Helios should have already known.
"Father? You mean... God?" Helios asked. He stood up on shaky legs and headed to the bathroom to start a hot shower.
"You humans call him God, I guess. But what did he tell you?" Circlet asked, his voice sharp with interest.
"He was just talking nonsense," Helios muttered, stepping under the spray of the shower.
"He would never say something without a reason," Circlet countered, his voice gradually fading as he retreated into the back of Helios's mind.
"Are you still there, Circlet?" Helios asked, but there was no reply. He stayed under the water for a few more minutes, trying to wash away the lingering dread.
"Today I need to go to that event with the royal family," Helios sighed to himself while selecting his clothes. He chose a sharp black suit adorned with intricate gold patterns and pulled on a pair of sleek black gloves. "Sara should be here by now," he murmured, heading out of his room and down the stairs.
"Morning, brother!" Luna chirped. She was wearing a beautiful white dress detailed with blue ocean waves.
"Morning, Moon. I can't take you to school today," Helios said, rushing down the stairs.
"You rarely even take me to school anyway," Luna pouted, stepping directly in front of him to block his path.
"Moon, what do you want?" Helios asked, reaching out to pat her head affectionately.
"Can I come with you today? Brother, please!" Luna pleaded, her eyes wide and hopeful.
"I can't bring two people; I'm already going with Sara," Helios said, kneeling to match Luna's height.
"But I want to go with you," Luna said, her voice dropping into a sad, small whimper.
"You still need to go to school today," Helios said in a gentle, firm voice.
"School can wait! Plus, why do I need to go to school if I have a rich brother?" Luna shouted in frustration, her voice echoing through the halls of the mansion.
"Fine, you can come. But you shouldn't cause any trouble," Helios relented. He scooped Luna up, carrying her out to the car.
Helios drove to Sara's mansion, where she was waiting at the gate. She looked elegant in a black dress with a fox-fur scarf draped over her arms.
"Morning, Helios," she said with a warm smile as she slid into the fancy black car.
"Morning. You look wonderful in that outfit," Helios said, his eyes lingering on her for a moment before he pulled away.
"Morning!" Luna shouted from the back seat.
"Luna? You're here too?" Sara asked, her expression shifting to one of genuine surprise.
"Yes! I asked brother and he said yes!" Luna cheered, raising her arms in triumph.
"I know I was only supposed to bring one person, but Luna really wanted to come," Helios explained as he began to drive.
"Well, she is still a child. Some nobles bring their children to socialize even if the invitation is specific," Sara noted, looking back at Luna with a kind gaze.
"Sara, are you and my brother going to get married?" Luna asked innocently, tilting her head to the side.
Both Helios and Sara's faces instantly flushed a deep crimson.
"Maybe in the future," Helios said, his voice shy and uncharacteristically quiet.
"Yes... in the future," Sara added, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Oh, that's sad," Luna sighed, slumping back into the leather seat.
They reached the Imperial Palace and Helios found a place to park.
"It's been so long since I've been here," Helios remarked, looking up at the towering spires. The three of them walked inside, and immediately, the eyes of the gathered nobles fell upon them.
"They're not looking at us like animals in a zoo anymore," Helios whispered, gripping Luna's hand firmly as they walked toward the centre of the ballroom.
"I think the royal family might be late today," Sara observed, glancing toward the grand doors.
"I hope that's true. I don't want to see those seven people," Helios muttered, looking at Sara with a grimace.
"The Royal Family has arrived!" a herald shouted from the doorway.
"It seems I'm unlucky," Helios sighed. All seven members of the royal family entered, led by the King and Queen, followed by the Princes and Princesses. Everyone in the room bowed—except for Helios, Sara, and Luna, who remained standing.
The King and Queen ascended their thrones while their children stood behind them.
"Morning, ladies and gentlemen," the King began, his eyes sweeping over the crowd until they settled on Helios. "It is the Royal Family's honour to have you all here. We have something important to announce before the party ends, and I hope the event is to your liking."
"I hope he doesn't announce that I have to marry one of his daughters," Helios whispered in a frustrated tone.
"Don't worry about that right now. Why don't we dance?" Sara suggested, taking Helios's hand with a playful smile.
"Moon, see you later!" Helios waved as Sara led him toward the dance floor.
"Brother is forgetting about his sister now," Luna grumbled, watching them walk away. She turned around and headed for a table laden with food. "If I can't do anything about brother forgetting me, I might as well just eat." She climbed onto a chair and began filling a plate.
"Are you Lord Helios's sister?" a girl asked, approaching Luna with a fake, sugary-sweet smile.
"Sorry, my brother told me not to speak with strangers," Luna replied, focusing on her food.
"I'm not a stranger; I'm your brother's friend," the girl lied smoothly.
"Lie. My brother hates nobles unless it's those two," Luna countered, her red eyes flashing as she glared at the woman.
"If you won't tell me about your brother, can you tell me something about yourself?" the woman asked, partially hiding a smirk behind her silk fan.
Meanwhile, on the dance floor, Sara smiled. "Helios, it seems you've gotten quite good at dancing."
"Thanks. I've been practising my best," Helios said, his face turning red again due to how closely Sara was holding him. As the music finished, they stepped apart.
"It seems Luna went somewhere," Sara noted, scanning the room.
"Where did Moon go?" Helios asked, his protective instincts immediately kicking in as he looked around the crowded hall.
Back at the table, Luna looked at the noble girl. "What do you want to know about me?"
"Are you really eight years old? You're so short," the girl mocked, her voice dripping with condescension. Her expression then turned cruel. "Why do you bother Lord Helios with your presence? You're just a burden in his life."