Caelus sat where he was, elbows resting on his knees as his thoughts all circled back to the same realization over and over again. He was never going back.
No matter how many times he thought about it deeply, the answer didn't change. There was no hidden condition, no second chance waiting somewhere, no sudden awakening back in his old room. Lee Dohyun had died on that road, and whatever came after had already happened.
"…So that's it," he murmured.
His chest felt a bit heavy as other thoughts came up. His mother would probably still be worrying about whether he had eaten, his father sitting in front of the television like always, flipping through channels without really paying attention, and his sister who would likely be on her phone, sending him something random while waiting for a reply that was never going to come.
He exhaled slowly as he flopped back first onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
"Sooner or later the news will get to them," he said quietly.
The thought lingered for a moment before he shook his head.
"…Okay," he muttered, using his palm to softly slap his cheeks then inhaled deeply, held it for a second and then let it out slowly, forcing his thoughts to shift. There was no point staying stuck on something he couldn't change. If this really was his reality now, then he had to deal with it properly.
Then another thought hit him which caused him to jolt up from the bed
"Now that I think about it…This is a fantasy world; Magic, knights, monsters, ancient ruins, everything he used to sketch, everything I had ever dreamt of as a kid, it all exists in this world.
While he wasn't fully excited as he had lost one thing to gain another, he still pushed himself to his feet and began pacing the room, his steps slow at first, then gradually more deliberate as his thoughts picked up speed. "Alright, think about it," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "If this is really my life now, then what do I do with it?"
The answer came almost immediately.
"Become an adventurer and fight some demon king like in the manhwas..." he picked up a sword in the room waving it around "...or perhaps a traveler and see all this world has to offer"
But just as quickly as that excitement rose, something else cut in.
He wasn't just some random person in this world, he was a prince and not just any prince either but the one expected to inherit the throne.
His expression shifted slightly as the implications settled in.
"If I become king…" he muttered, running a hand through his hair, "…then that's it for me."
He let out a quiet laugh, though there was no humor in it.
"No exploring, no adventures… just meetings, politics, ceremonies… stuck here forever until I eventually die of old age."
He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth "I must do everything in my power to avoid that responsibility "
There was no hesitation in that conclusion.
He resumed pacing, this time faster, his mind racing as he tried to find a way out.
"Okay… becoming king is definitely out of the question," he muttered, rubbing his chin. "But I can't just refuse outright… that'd be way too suspicious. Even if that somehow worked, the king doesn't look like the type of person who'd accept a 'no' anyway."
Seconds turned into minutes and minutes into hours, that's when it hit him
"What if I just… don't qualify?"
The idea lingered for a second, then his expression slowly shifted.
"…Right," he murmured, a small grin forming. "I don't need to refuse."
He let out a quiet breath, almost amused with himself.
"Back on Earth, I've seen this happen way too many times… one kid messes up enough, and the parents just shift all their expectations to the other one."
He rubbed his hands together as a grin made its way to his face.
"…All I've gotta do is be that disappointment; Mess up my lessons, lose a few spars, act like I'm not improving and just like that, they'll have no choice but to turn their focus to Kaelen instead."
And so, that was exactly what he did.
At first, it was subtle. A missed step during training here, a wrong answer during a lesson there. The kind of small mistakes that could easily be brushed off as an off day. But as time went on, those small mistakes became more frequent, more noticeable.
He lost spars he should've easily won.
He "misunderstood" concepts that had been explained to him multiple times.
His control over magic, once praised, became inconsistent, sometimes failing to activate, other times flaring out of control just enough to be concerning.
It didn't take long for people to notice.
The instructors were the first, then the knights, then the court, even Kaelen and eventually, his father.
The confrontation happened sooner than he expected.
The king had summoned him privately, his expression as unreadable as ever, but the tension in the room was impossible to ignore. "I don't know what it is you think you're doing," the man said, his voice low and controlled, "but this behavior will not continue."
Caelus kept his head slightly lowered, maintaining the image he had built.
"Your performance has declined across every discipline," the king continued. "Swordsmanship, magic, studies…..none of it meets the standard expected of you." He slammed his fist on the throne
"…I understand," Caelus replied quietly.
"Then correct it." There was no warmth in his words, no concern, just expectation.
"Yes, Father."
The conversation ended there.
But despite that, Caelus had no intention of changing his approach. If anything, he leaned further into it.
Weeks turned into months, and slowly, the shift began just like he had planned.
The court's expectations started to waver and as attention moved away from him, it naturally shifted toward the only other option, Kaelen.
From a distance, Caelus could feel his brother's gaze on him more than once, lingering just a little longer than normal, filled with confusion and suspicion at the same time.
But he didn't react, he simply continued playing his role and by the time a year had passed, the outcome was clear.
When the coronation celebrations began, the atmosphere within the palace had already changed, the focus was no longer on him.
That night, the palace was filled with music and laughter, nobles moving through the halls as the celebration carried on. Caelus kept his head down as he walked, already heading back to his room, not seeing any reason to stay any longer.
From the corner of his eye, he spotted Kaelen across the hall. His older brother noticed him too, there was a brief moment where it looked like he was about to come over, but before he could, a group of nobles grabbed him, laughing and pulling him back into the celebration.
——-
After walking for several minutes, the noise of the celebration could no longer be heard and only silence remained.
Suddenly he heard another footstep, when he looked up he saw his father approaching
They walked toward each other from opposite ends of the corridor. Neither of them said a word. When they passed each other, it seemed like that would be it.
"…Father." Caelus stopped.
The king paused but didn't turn right away.
"There's something I want to say," Caelus continued. "Since I'm no longer the next in line for the throne, I don't plan on staying in the palace."
He paused a bit.
"I want to leave. Travel… see the world. Become an adventurer."
For a moment, there was nothing but uncomfortable silence.
Then...
"…Do as you please." The king continued walking without looking back "I have no second son"
Caelus stood there for a second, then let out a quiet breath.
"…That was easier than I expected."
He ran a hand through his hair before continuing down the corridor.
"But..…I'm finally free."