The first thing Ray felt was pain.
Not sharp. Not sudden.
Slow.
Heavy.
Like something pressing down on his chest, sinking into his bones.
He exhaled weakly.
So… I'm still alive.
The thought came and went without meaning.
It always did.
Dim light filtered through the tall windows. The curtains hadn't been fully drawn— someone left it that way on purpose.
The royal physicians liked to pretend sunlight helped.
Ray knew better.
Nothing did.
He shifted slightly.
A mistake.
A faint wince crossed his face as the ache spread through him again, slow and suffocating. It felt like his blood had been replaced with something heavier—something wrong.
The "unknown illness."
That was the name they gave it.
No cause. No cure.
Just an estimate.
Seven years.
Ray let out a quiet breath.
"Unknown… how convenient."
His voice was rough, barely there.
They didn't know.
Of course they didn't.
How could ordinary humans understand something that wasn't meant for them?
Understanding it would require more effort than most people were capable of.
Ray closed his eyes briefly, letting the discomfort settle instead of fighting it.
Fighting it never helped.
It only made it worse.
The rebellion.
It came back to him slowly.
Last night.
In a single night, the centuries old empire had fallen.
"...How ironic," he murmured.
His gaze drifted toward the window.
His parents were dead.
His siblings too.
Ray didn't feel anything about that.
People died every day.
This was just… a larger number.
Though–
There was still one left.
His half-brother.
So maybe not all of them.
A quiet knock interrupted his thoughts.
Ray didn't respond.
The door opened anyway.
"Your Highness."
A maid stepped in carefully, as if entering a place she wasn't supposed to be. A tray of medicine rested in her hands, the scent faint and bitter.
She avoided his eyes.
They all did.
Not out of respect.
Out of discomfort.
To them, he wasn't just a prince.
He was a dying one.
"Medicine," she said softly, setting it beside him.
Ray glanced at the cup.
Dark.
Bitter.
Pointless.
"Leave it."
She hesitated.
"But—"
"I said leave it."
His voice was quiet.
Flat.
Enough.
She flinched slightly before bowing her head. "Yes, Your Highness."
Moments later, she was gone.
Silence returned.
Ray stared at the cup for a few seconds.
Then looked away.
Drinking it would only waste energy.
It wouldn't change anything. No human remedy could fix what was happening to him.
Because this wasn't an illness.
It was a fate he was born with.
His fingers tightened slightly against the sheets.
He should be able to move properly again soon.
He just had to wait.
He stared at the ceiling.
Wondering—not with curiosity, but with mild interest—what would change first.
The empire?
Or his remaining time?
"He seemed like he would be a just emperor," Ray murmured.
A pause.
"But that doesn't mean much."
Another wave of pain rolled through him.
Sharper this time.
His hand tightened slightly, breath hitching—just for a moment.
Then it passed.
It was getting worse.
Faster than before.
At this rate…
A knock came again.
Different.
Ray didn't need to think about it.
"Come in."
"Your Highness," Orven said, stepping inside. "Are you feeling better?"
Ray looked at him for a moment.
Orven seemed like he grew older.
More tired.
"Yes," Ray replied, short but enough.
Orven exhaled in relief, shoulders lowering slightly. He sat beside the bed.He seemed to genuinely care about Ray. Though Ray doesn't understand why. He never did anything to earn his favour.
"So much has happened while you were asleep."
Ray wasn't particularly interested.
But asking required very little effort.
"What happened?"
"The rebel leader…" Orven began, as if he was waiting for him to ask, "turned out to be a love child between the former empress and a wandering mercenary. A hidden one."
He paused.
"He killed the imperial family and took the throne."
Ray blinked once.
"Already?"
"Yes. It's been two days."
That explained it.
Ray didn't react.
It wasn't the first time his body had forced him to disappear for that long.
"What else?"
"The palace is already being repaired, the lights should turn on again soon. And the commander of the knights has been replaced."
Ray was silent for a moment.
Everything was moving quickly.
Too quickly.
Empires didn't usually collapse like this.
But this one did.
"...Efficient," he said.
Orven nodded. "The new emperor doesn't seem like someone who wastes time."
Of course he doesn't.
Ray's gaze drifted slightly.
Kai never seemed like the type to hesitate.
…Except once.
A faint shift crossed his expression.
Gone just as quickly.
"Your Highness?" Orven called carefully.
Ray blinked.
"Yes?"
Orven hesitated.
"There's something else."
Ray didn't respond.
Orven continued.
"The new emperor gave a direct order regarding you."
That—
That was mildly interesting.
Ray turned his head slightly.
"...What kind of order?"
Orven straightened.
"You are not to be harmed."
A pause.
"You are to remain in the palace. Under supervision."
Ray stared at him.
For a second—
nothing.
Then—
a quiet exhale.
"...I see."
Not executed.
Not exiled.
Not ignored.
Observed.
Orven looked uneasy. "Your Highness, this isn't something we should take lightly—being watched—"
"What could we possibly do?" Ray interrupted.
His tone remained calm.
Unbothered.
"If he wants to watch, then let him."
A small pause.
"At least he made his intentions clear."
Orven fell silent.
Ray's gaze drifted again.
Kai wasn't careless.
Nothing he did lacked purpose.
So the question wasn't what—
It was why.
"...Orven."
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"Do you think he's kind?"
Orven blinked.
"...Kind?"
"The new emperor."
Orven hesitated.
"I don't know," he admitted. "But… he doesn't seem cruel."
Ray hummed softly.
Not cruel.
That was different from kind.
Very different.