“There’s gotta be something wrong with me, because I’m still too stupid to fly!” the thought crossed KoaK’s mind fleetingly, his gaze fixated on the stone pavement below. The only sound he was tuned into was the screaming in his ears, metal dubstep blasting from his headphones. In the span of four hours, he’d managed to forget all responsibilities, and risking pissing off his parents. “And for what? Shanti!” he yelled a bit too loudly, not being able to hear himself. A set of black irises and fluorescent purple hair came to mind before the image diminished.
KoaK had fled from one of his caretakers, who’d seen him as he was walking home. The man had only taken a glance, but it was enough for him to recognize the prince. That had been KoaK’s cue to leave. He would’ve flown, had he figured out how to. He was among a race of human-dragon hybrids. If you’re picturing a boy with reptilian skin and huge wings sprouting from his back, don’t. Their appearance is entirely human, aside from wings that are always unique to them. KoaK had recently lost the tattoo that gave an idea of what his wings would look like, and those wings had replaced it. They were the same rich blue as his eyes; the claws tinted the same shiny black as his hair.
Again, seeing the castle in view, he attempted to push himself into the air. Instead, he tripped, his hands going out on instinct to catch his fall. He landed hard, but ignored the stinging in his palms, standing and running to the castle. This is where he had to do some quick thinking. “Are the advisors here today…? I think they are…” The King and Queen’s two head advisors came every Tuesday to discuss issues or improvements to the city. “Guess I’m climbing up,” KoaK thought, going to the side of the castle instead of the front doors.
Once he was sure he was under his bedroom window, he started climbing up with ease, having done this many times before. His wings got in the way sometimes, but he always managed to push open the window and climb inside, given the window was unlocked. Luckily, it was. Despite common belief, the prince’s room was just like any other teenagers, just on a bigger scale. Posters covered the walls; CDs littered his dresser, clothes were all over the floor, and his schoolbooks and whatnot were piled in an untouched corner.
Ignoring the clutter, KoaK walked over to his door, opening it quietly before walking out and closing it behind him. The prince stalked over to the stairs, walking down them as silently as possible, his wings tucked against his back. He could hear the faint murmurs of a conversation downstairs, and he realized it was his parents and their advisors. What peaked his interest, however, was that they were speaking in a language other than English. “It has to be something important, then,” KoaK thought, in the middle of the stairs.
It was a language that KoaK was being taught (he hated that it didn’t have a name), but he didn’t pay much attention. He only knew a few words and phrases, which hindered his understanding of what the four were discussing. Eyebrows furrowed in concentration, KoaK crouched down near the bottom of the stairs, hiding himself next to the guardrail. He started to pick up snippets of what they said, including a “What…?” from his mother. Her tone was restrained, as if she held disbelief. KoaK struggled to understand much, causing him to curse quietly in annoyance.
He clenched his jaw immediately to silence himself, but it was too late. The “damn,” echoed off the almost silent room, and the four adults looked around briefly before one of the advisers spotted him. He stood up carefully, looking at his father almost timidly. Aero, his father, looked annoyed. Fira, his mother, had teary eyes and pursed lips. Both of the advisers held their usual serious expressions, staring at KoaK, the intruder.
“I-…” KoaK started to speak but Fira shook her head. “You shouldn’t be here…” she murmured, her soft tone giving him a chill of worry. “Is everything okay?” The prince couldn’t keep himself from asking, the question falling from his mouth of its own accord. “Ah, no,” Daia, the female adviser, spoke up, her hands clasped in her lap. “Daia, hush,” Aero addressed her sternly, slitting his eyes at her. Daia cowered, but the reaction was slight. Normally, the advisers had no reaction to the King’s anger or annoyance, so the issue must be sensitive.
“Tell me…?” the prince questioned cautiously, looking at Fira with concern. “There’s-…” “Fira, don’t,” Aero cut the queen off, practically growling the command. Fira’s eyes began to water, but the King was unfazed. “M-!” “Kai!” Again, he cut her off, his tone even harsher, his white wings unfurling slightly. Kai was Fira’s real name, Fira being the name that was given to the Queen, just as Aero wasn’t the King’s real name. His original name was Sae.
“Dae-ay…” Fira whispered, the word in their second language. KoaK heard her and started thinking, trying to translate it. Aero grunted in annoyance, then trained an amused gaze on KoaK once he noticed him struggling. The prince frowned, not remembering the word for it in English. Fira looked down, her expression blanking, while the second adviser, who had been silent, glared at Aero for a moment. The king was oblivious, still looking at KoaK with a raised brow. “It means ‘war,’” the second adviser, Wae, said flatly. Aero looked at him with an expression that matched that tone. “Why the hell would you tell him?” A glare made its way onto the king’s face. “He doesn’t need to know!” He stepped closer to Wae, setting his jaw. KoaK was confused. “War…? Why would they be talking about a war…? Is there...” The boy’s thoughts trailed off.
“Actually… he might…?” Daia’s voice rang out unsteadily among the tension, as if she was scared of repercussions. Fira bit her lip, expecting Aero to explode. Four sets of eyes landed on the adviser, but the Queen was the first to speak up. “What do you mean?” Her tone held a curiosity that was laced with the same worry her eyes practically glowed with.
“W-Well… Your Highness,” she cleared her throat. “You and Aero have issues to deal with here, at the castle, and when the kingdom finds out, and I assure you it will, everyone will be in a panic…! There’s no way to hide it… Everything will end up shutting down in the process, including the postal service.” Daia looked down at her hands, wringing them together before meeting Aero’s eyes.
The king’s expression switched visibly from anger, to uncertainty, to a thoughtful understanding. Fira’s stayed worried as it had for the duration of the conversation, while KoaK looked at the four others in confusion. “Daia is correct. There will be no way to communicate with Dae, meaning there will be no negotiation or acknowledgement of the oncoming attack,” Wae said, seemingly unfazed by the topic at hand, continuing on like this was an everyday meeting. “Because of this, we need someone with the right and the capability to deliver a message for us.”
All of them stared at Wae, uncertainty hanging in the air, thicker than gelatin. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, KoaK murmured, “You mean me, right…?” His parents looked at him, the advisers beginning to stand. Before either could respond, KoaK continued, looking at the floor. “I’m not very smart, I can’t fly, and I don’t have much talent. I’m not sociable anymore, so there’s no way I can negotiate with him… But…” There came a pause here to purse his lips as he thought of what to say next. “But, I can take whatever you need there… I know our kingdom really well, so finding another shouldn’t be too hard, right?”
He looked up at his parents now, a small smile finding its way onto his face. Aero looked back at the boy, Fira waving at the two advisers once they started to leave, without a farewell as usual. Neither waved back. “How can I trust you not to make it worse?” Aero asked, still looking at his son. “You-… Just should…?” KoaK shrugged his shoulders, looking down again, his voice falling into a quiet mumble. “I want to help for once and you push me down before I can even try…”
Fira looked at KoaK with teary eyes, shaking her head. “Don’t listen to your father, he just-!” She stepped closer to KoaK, putting a hand on his shoulder, but he brushed it away. A brief look of determination lit his features and he looked at the table the advisers had been sitting at. There lay an envelope with the crest of the family sealing it shut, a small ray of hope just within his reach.
It only took a moment of mental debate before KoaK had grabbed the envelope and started rushing out the door. His father chased after him immediately, a “No!” erupting from his mother’s throat.
KoaK did his best to ignore the sudden ache in his wrist as it was grabbed and wrenched back, freeing himself before forcing the door open and running out, the adrenalin of his outburst fueling his speed. “I can do this. I meant it. I can, I swear. I’ll come back and everything will be better, right?” This is what the prince told himself as he made his way to the edge of the city, knowing the route to Zej’s electronics store by heart.
…
Zej’s electric blue eyes lit up the moment KoaK entered the store. “Hey, K, how’s it goin’?” he asked with such genuine interest that KoaK couldn’t help but smile, shoving the envelope in the pocket of the blue hoodie he never seemed to remove. “I’m alright, but…” KoaK thought for a moment, still debating whether this was a good idea. “Ya’ know how you promised me that you would always help me, no matter what I asked for?” The prince’s eyebrows furrowed as he met Zej’s gaze, eyes skimming over his short black Mohawk and small black wings.
“Yeah…? I always gotcha’ back, K. What is it?” Zej inquired; his voice held a tonality similar to an Australian accent. “I need… supplies. Something happened- I can’t really tell you everything, and I have to go to another kingdom… I don’t have much time, and I know you go hiking a lot, so I was wondering if you could lend me some survival stuff…?” KoaK rushed through his explanation, uncertainty written clearly on his face.
“Goin’ somewhere outside the kingdom, eh? Well, I can give you some things but not anythin’ too dangerous,” Zej sighed, before raising an eyebrow. “Do your parents know?” KoaK shook his head slowly, but held Zej’s gaze, his jaw set in a newfound determination. “But it doesn’t matter! They do know I’m leaving. They don’t think I can do this… But I have to. Please, Zej, you have to understand?”
“Sure, sure, I understand. But lemme ask you this, K,” Zej leaned over the counter, folding his arms on top of it. “Is this KoaK’s mission, or this a selfish brat’s mission?” His pierced ears glinted in the lights overhead, further harshening the man’s scrutinizing expression. KoaK was hesitant to answer but mustered up a response regardless. “This is my mission,” he said, nodding in confirmation. “It’s not for me. Trust me. Nowhere close…” “Alright. I believe you. Just know that if you turn it around? I’m gonna know,” Zej let a faint smirk replace the almost-glare he showed before.
He pulled away from the counter, standing up straight. KoaK watched him walk around the counter and over to him, glancing at the hands that clasped over his shoulders. Zej leaned down so they were eye level to each other. “Don’t f*** up, alright? If this is something really important, don’t discourage yourself and think you’ll ruin it, because then you will. I know you’re a teenager and all, but you used to be a total optimist, so try to call that back while you’re doing whatever you’re doing,” he said, blue eyes softening for a moment. He let go of KoaK’s shoulders and stuck a hand out. “Shake on it?”
KoaK stared at his hand for a moment before grabbing it with his own, shaking it firmly. “Okay. I got it,” he said the words and they became a sacred promise, one without room for negotiation. Zej released his grip, smiling, and KoaK smiled back.
…
“Ya’ look ready for a damn war, kid!” Zej chuckled, unaware of how accurate that was. He’d dressed KoaK in a bulletproof vest, hidden with a rain jacket that seemed like it was made of leather, a belt strapped over his shoulder on top of that. After some debate, Zej had given him a knife, but told the prince to take it out of the belt only for emergencies. KoaK’s imagination scared him with the possibilities of “emergency” in this situation. “Do I really? I only have a knife…” KoaK put a finger to his lips, looking at himself in the floor mirror. “No, no, your face. You look so ready to take charge, maybe put on a smile instead?” Zej stood behind him, hooking his index fingers in the boy’s mouth and forcing him to smile. He chuckled, grinning. KoaK let out a whine, batting Zej’s hands away and rubbing one of his cheeks.
“Don’t do that,” he huffed like a child that didn’t get his way, pouting at the mirror. “Aw, well, at least lighten up some, you looked so cold, K,” he shook his head in disapproval. “Maybe I could call Shanti, she’ll cheer you up, yeah?” Zej nudged KoaK’s back with his elbow, snickering now. “What- No, don’t call her, she’ll wanna go with me!” KoaK suddenly sounded panicked, causing the man to quiet and pull away, raising his hands in submission. “Okay, okay, geez, calm down.”
The prince had to keep himself from sighing in relief. “T-Thanks, for this…” he looked down at the combat boots and baggy cargo pants he’d borrowed. When KoaK had put them on, Zej had laughed because they were just a smidgeon too large for him. “How cute, they don’t fit,” Zej had said, a grin plastered on his face.
“Nah, no problem. Now, go see Phinae, and get some food to take, alright?” Zej c***ed his head slightly. Aeriphinae ran the bakery down the street, another store manager KoaK had become good friends with. Her hair and eyes were the same blueberry, but she always smelled like vanilla cupcakes. “Yeah, I know…” KoaK smiled at him, but it quickly faded. Zej raised an eyebrow when it did, opening his mouth to say something. Before he could, KoaK hugged him, not caring if it was a sudden, awkward embrace. “K-…” Zej hugged him back, furrowing his eyebrows. “It’ll be okay, alright?” Zej patted his back slightly before pulling away. KoaK let go immediately, nodding. “Right,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. “I’m sorry about that…” “Nah, it’s fine. Now go talk to Phinae, K,” Zej responded with a smile, pushing him towards the door.
“I know that it’ll be okay… So why do I feel like this is the last time I’ll see him?” KoaK thought, waving once he was out the door. Zej waved back, watching the prince walk down the street. KoaK adjusted the black bag slung over his shoulders, heading towards the corner bakery, where he hoped he’d earn some cupcakes for the trip.
…
“This is it,” KoaK murmured  quietly, looking at the unimpressive city boundary. It was nothing more than a fence. It was easily climbable, and looked more like something that would protect you from a dog. The people of the city were allowed to come and go as they pleased, but no one ever wanted to leave. For this reason, there were no guards for KoaK to deal with. Not one. Beyond the fence lay miles of thick trees and nameless creatures squandering for necessities to survive. KoaK was about to become one of them.
“I can do this,” The thought again crossed his mind and he clenched his fists. After a moment of listening to the silence, he placed his headphones over his ears, turning his music on. A sigh of relief escaped his lungs and he began climbing over the fence. Once he reached the other side… the decision was final.

The prince looked like a beggar on the street by the time he reached the other city’s border. He was covered in the filth of the forest, remnants of spider webs clinging to his clothes, which were wet from rain. His knife rested comfortably in its pouch, untouched, but the vest underneath the soaked jacket was covered in scratches. To KoaK, it seemed as if the entire world was against him the second he step foot into the wild. He walked into every other tree, bush, web, rock, and puddle in that “pit of evil green creatures.” KoaK had muttered that phrase to himself, not remembering what schoolbook he’d gotten it from. The prince had tanned a bit during his weeklong walk, which wouldn’t have taken so long, had he figured out how to fly.
On the brighter side, he’d reached the opposing kingdom. Kumaru’s kingdom was much larger than KoaK’s, and it loomed over him like an angry parent. It screamed hatred and depression, so the prince was reluctant to even try to enter. He noticed there were several guards posted in patches across the wall, which looked like it kept people in rather than out. “This is almost a prison…” KoaK thought, walking along the last stretch of trees. He knew they wouldn’t let him in. “Would they…?” KoaK asked himself aloud, taking the letter out of his book bag. He’d used all of the wax sandwich paper and plastic packaging to keep it dry inside, never once taking it out after.
Now, he removed all of its coverage, walking up to one of the guards carefully after dropping his bag, noticing it land in a small bush. He left it, approaching the man, making sure he fixed his posture. The guard gave him a condescending look, standing straighter, his eyes travelling from KoaK’s folded wings to the letter in his hand.
“Who’re you, and what is ‘at?” The man’s voice was gruff, focusing on the paper in the other’s hand. “I’m KoaK, Prince of Deshou, and this is a letter for King Kumaru,” KoaK managed to keep his voice steady, keeping eye contact once the guard looked at him. “Prince? Pah, you look like s***,” he scoffed, crossing his arms. “This is the Kingdom of Ikari, right? Or am I mistaken? Look, I’ve been walking through the forest for a week, so I apologize for shaming the King with my appearance, but this letter is urgent, and I must deliver it personally,” KoaK changed his tone into something more professional. His caretakers at least drilled that into his head.
“Eh, who’s to say you ain’t lyin’? That knife there, are you plannin’ to kill the King with it? What about-” “I’m not going to harm your King, alright, I just need to deliver this,” KoaK cut the guard off, starting to get annoyed. He had a long fuse, but when it reached the explosives…
“Okay, okay, don’t get sassy with me, brat… Wait, a week? Why didn’t you just fly…? Can’t you fly?” The guard c***ed an eyebrow, before snorting. “Prince Kae here can’t fly!” At this, KoaK’s fuse was pushing sparks closer and closer to the TNT. “My name is KoaK, not Kae. I changed my name, and as royalty, you have to respect my name,” the prince said, forcing himself to sound calm and unaffected by the use of his birth name.
“How do I know you’re even a damn prince?!” The guard yelled, throwing his arms up into the air. “You could be lyin’! You could be trickin’ me! I don’t know! Stupid teenagers don’t know when to quit! Jesus, I should be paid extra for dealin’ with an arrogant brat ‘ike you!” KoaK glared at this outburst. The fuse ignited the fire, and without thinking, KoaK ran behind him, wrapping an arm around his neck firmly. Afterwards he grabbed his free arm with it, applying just enough pressure so the guard would fall limp, his shouting being cut off. KoaK let go slowly, letting him fall to the ground.
He heard a quiet pop and realized the man’s arm was bent at an awkward angle, trapped under his own body. The pain must’ve been agonizing, because he woke up immediately, swearing. KoaK acted fast, the letter in between his teeth, carefully. He scaled the wall with his eyes, grinning for a moment when he saw possible foot and handholds. He rid himself off the bulletproof vest, since it would weigh him down, before climbing the wall as quickly and cautiously as possible.
The prince drowned out the screaming of the guard, not bothering to look down at the others rushing to see what was wrong. “No one’ll look up. No one ever looks up,” KoaK thought, almost hopefully, as he started to reach the top. Once he did, however, he stood up and looked down uncertainly. Luckily, there was a lake just below him, but how deep was it? Would it cushion his fall? He had no time to worry about it, jumping down with his eyes shut tightly. “Please don’t sting-!” This wish was pointless, since he knew it would sting. He’d jumped into water from a large height before, but never from this high up. The water was an aggressive slap, and he lay there just under the water’s surface, shocked into a numbing stillness. He started to let his lungs empty, drifting down…
“No!” he heard a scream from nearby, but didn’t react. He felt something latch onto his arms, dragging him out of the water. He began coughing and gasping, sitting up quickly. He shook his head when his hair covered his eyes, and chuckled at his own annoyance. “I almost drowned, and I’m annoyed because of my hair-?” he shook his head, opening his eyes. “Oh, thank god, you’re okay!” The screaming voice from before turned joyous, and someone hugged him. “Huh?” he asked, before looking at them. “Who…” The question died the second his eyes caught her black ones. “Shanti?! What the hell are you doing here? Go home! Now! How did you even get here, I-!” He yelled, pushing her away. “I followed you! I went to your place because you left your spare headphones at mine, so I wanted to return them, and your parents told me, and I followed, and I trailed you and I’ve been following this whole time, okay, so I’m sorry!” Her explanation was one long sentence, and her eyes started to tear up. “Please don’t be mad at me, KoaK, but I had to! I was worried! Plus, I always promised to keep you out of trouble!”
“You don’t understand what you’re doing, Shanti!” KoaK hisses, lowering his volume. He grabs the girl’s shoulders, looking at her with a glare. “You. Could. Get. Hurt! I don’t want that!” “I don’t want you hurt either, though…” She mumbles quietly, tears falling now, one at a time. KoaK’s glare softens into a frown, and he lets go of her, standing up. “I have a job to do-…” The prince starts to say, but stops, his eyes widening. “The letter! F***, I’m an idiot! Did it get soaked?!” KoaK digs through his pockets but finds no wet paper inside any of them. “Where is it?! That’s the whole reason I’m here!” He starts to panic now, looking around frantically.
“C-Calm down-…” Shanti says nervously, looking around before mumbling, “Oh…! Look up there.” She points to the small weeping widow tree hanging over the water. Perched on top of a group of branches was the letter, teetering close to its death. “Oh, thank God it isn’t drowning,” The prince let out a sigh of relief and Shanti giggled quietly before gesturing to it. “It will be if you don’t hurry and get it!”
KoaK wasted no time. He ran over to the tree and climbed it with ease, but reached a problem when he stood on a thicker branch, wobbling. “I can do this-…” he reached in front of him slowly, carefully, before bending at the knees and lowering himself. He was mere centimeters away when the branch snapped. A deafening crack sounded just before he started falling. “S***, no!” KoaK shouted, while Shanti let out a screech, hands covering her mouth.
The prince reached out and snatched the letter, allowing himself a victorious grin. He realized then, however, that it would get soaked anyway once he fell back into the water… “Shouldn’t I have hit by now?” He looked down and saw the water below him, but he wasn’t moving. He looked over at Shanti, seeing her wide eyes, her mouth still covered. “What…?” KoaK asked quietly. He then gasped, a smile appearing. “Am I flying?”
“That was my favorite tree,” a deep, silky voice said slowly, in a practiced sort of way. KoaK’s smile fell immediately as he looked behind him. Through the rush of falling and the possibility that he’d learned to fly in the panic, he hadn’t felt the hands under his arms. A man was holding him up, his bat-like wings the color of a dandelion surrounded by fire, outlined in a black so stark that it made the yellow even brighter. His eyes were a bright orange that burned into KoaK’s blue ones, his hair a deep auburn-brown.
“Y-You saved me?” The prince ignored his statement, looking back at him. The man nodded, before gliding over to the ground, setting KoaK down beside Shanti, whose gaze still followed the man. “More so, I saved that,” he gestured to the letter in KoaK’s hand lazily, before holding a hand out. “I believe that’s for me, yes?”
Now KoaK stared at him, dumbfounded. “This is Kumaru? The king that’s declaring war us? And he saved me?” The prince thought, before voicing the question. “You’re Kumaru?” Again, the king nodded. “I am indeed.” He must have little patience, because he snatched the letter from KoaK’s hand and started walking off. “Wait, I’m supposed to talk to you!” KoaK yelled after him, and the other gestured for him to follow. The prince did so, and since no one opposed, Shanti trailed behind him.
…
Kumaru’s castle was at least three times the size of KoaK’s. Even the gargoyles were more intimidating. The stone exterior looked as if it had just been replaced, unlike back at home, where on three sides it was crumbling. Every light fixture, piece of furniture and section of wallpaper looked perfectly kept. If Kumaru was a terrible ruler like the caretakers had told KoaK, he was a terribly clean one.
Here the prince was, drenched and covered in filth, mottling the floor with his every step. On such a fancy-looking carpet, too! Shanti was soaked as well, of course, she’d saved KoaK the first time, and she’d spent just as long in that hellish green.
Once they reached the King’s chambers, he waved away two servants and opened the doors, strolling in as if the two teenagers weren’t here. They followed him in regardless, and Shanti jumped when the door closed behind them. “You, Kae, are a pitiful young prince,” Kumaru started, holding up a hand when KoaK began to retort. “I have no obligation to use the name you chose, because I am of higher standing than are you. I do have one question, however, who is the girl?” He gestured to Shanti, sitting down in a chair that looked like it cost millions. It shimmered and KoaK realized there were dragon scales embedded into the fabric.
“M-My name is Shanti, your Highness,” Shanti said in response, curtseying. “Are you from royalty, or something lower?” The King looked her over, taking in the thin wings and bright purple hair, before landing again on her black eyes. “I’m KoaK’s friend… but I… I’m just from the city of his kingdom… Not royalty at all.” She looked ashamed when she said it, and that started to annoy KoaK. “Ah, I see,” Kumaru nodded curtly before ignoring them completely, opening the letter. He took the thin paper from the envelope and began reading it. KoaK looked over at Shanti, frowning. She didn’t notice, absorbed with curiosity, eyes trained on the letter.
It took Kumaru all of two minutes to read the three pages, and when he finished, he only scoffed. He crumpled up the paper and threw it directly at KoaK. It hit his eye and he hissed, cursing under his breath. “You think I’m going to draw back? And what a crudely written letter, too. Pitiful. Pathetic. The Kingdom of Hope you come from will have nothing to do with swaying my decision. I can promise you this, Prince Kae…” Kumaru stood, walking over to the boy, grabbing his chin so he would meet his eyes. “If you stay here and serve my purposes, I will not kill your parents. I can even create a contract if you’d like.”
It felt so rushed, so soon. He’d only just read the damned letter, and now he wanted to make a deal? “What are you saying?” KoaK growled, pulling away from the king. “You have no reason to war with us! What do you gain?!” He started yelling, backing away from him. “Territory, resources, et cetera,” Kumaru shrugged. “I take it you refuse to serve me, then? Hm, not a good choice on your part.” “I won’t let you do this…! I’ll-”
“You’ll what?” Kumaru cut him off, a smirk planted on his lips. Shanti looked between them uneasily, mumbling KoaK’s name quietly, failing to warn him. The prince removed the knife from its holster, holding it so the blade faced backwards. “I’ll end it before you even get the chance!” Again, KoaK’s long fuse had reached the explosives, the only difference being just how much powder was inside.
“It’s cute how you assume I’ll take this lightly,” Kumaru chuckles quietly, and the next ten seconds happened so fast KoaK got confused. In that amount of time, the king had taken the knife, clamping KoaK’s wrists together behind his back. Then, the knife was to the boy’s throat and Shanti was screaming and tearing up. “N-No!” she cried, shaking her head and walking closer, hesitantly. “Shanti, don’t-…” KoaK insisted, struggling to free his wrists. “Going to fight me?” Kumaru growled, tightening his grip and pressing the knife closer.
“No!” Shanti shrieked once more, shaking her head before boldly grabbing onto Kumaru’s arm, trying to pull the knife away from KoaK’s throat. The king grunted, pushing her onto the ground easily. She started crying, starting to stand again. “I’d advise against that,” Kumaru snorted, seemingly amused. KoaK felt the knife press closer once more and kept himself from gulping.
Shanti stopped moving, looking up at the two. “Now, are you going to revise your decision, Kae?” Kumaru said quietly, meant for the prince’s ears alone. KoaK was determined not to break. “No…” he answered, just as quietly. “How… unfortunate,” was the king’s reply, before KoaK knew red had started to bead onto the blade, a shallow cut forming. Shanti realized this and jumped up, dragging Kumaru’s arm down.

KoaK looked just in time to see her before his vision became black.

…
The room was just as dark with his eyes open as it had been with them closed. The prince looked around but didn’t notice any hiding specks of light. He sat up, but the motion made him nauseous. “Uhn…” the unintelligible noise escaped him, his hands flying up to grip his head tightly. It felt as though it was tensing up to pop off. He stood up slowly, stumbling almost immediately. “Can’t-… see…” he mumbled lazily, his throat hoarse.
KoaK scratched his head and pulled on his hair, letting the sensation of blood on his fingertips flee his knowledge. It felt new and bemusing, which KoaK did not like. He’d never gotten seriously injured, so the thought of being seriously hurt confused him. “What happened…?” the prince asked the room, stumbling forward until he ran into the nearest wall. His chest made a soft thump when it collided with the rough stone, pulling KoaK’s balance away from him. He shook his head, taking a step backward.
“I was in that room, with the King… the knife… And Shanti was there…? Yeahh… I thought the King was gonna kill me… But where am I now?” KoaK’s thoughts, at least, held some clarity. His senses were finally returning to him, and he realized how cold the room was; his vision adjusted and he could see rows of metal rings on the walls, mounted at waist level. “A prison cell? Why am I here?” KoaK furrowed his eyebrows at the prospect of being here, of all places. “I didn’t do anything…”
The sentence died on his lips when his sense of smell returned. An abhorrent smell was undulating throughout the small room in heavy motions, rippling around the prince and making him feel sick. He covered his mouth, closing his eyes tightly for a moment. “What the hell is that smell-?” KoaK choked the words out, coughing now as he opened his eyes and looked around. It didn’t take long for him to discover the source of the miasma.
KoaK’s eyes started to water and he took a step backward. A dead body lay in the corner of the room, crumpled up and lying in a pool of its own blood. Out of morbid curiosity, KoaK had to see whom this body belonged to. He had to see the person’s face. He made his way over to it slowly, keeping his mouth covered, albeit his hands began shaking as he caught sight of purple hair.
“N-No…” he murmured, falling beside the body. “No, no… Sh-…” he stopped, unable to say her name. Shanti lay before him, a hole in her stomach, which still leaked scarlet; eyes that were once a stammering black had shifted into a deep grey that held no thought. “B-But… I don’t remember…” The prince shook his head in denial, reaching a hand out to touch her face. “You can’t be d-dead…” KoaK’s eyes began leaking now, tears falling slowly.
Once his fingers met her cheek, KoaK’s sense of touch returned as well. He could feel how soft the skin still was, but also how cold it had become. The sensation left his spine aching, but that ache stayed and wouldn’t budge. He pulled his hand away, and yet it was still there. The prince decided to ignore it subconsciously, his gaze fixed on the pale figure below him.
“You can’t,” he murmured quietly; the smile that formed upon his lips was bitter. “Please…” KoaK’s gaze traveled over her hair, purple stained red from blood, to her open grey eyes, and back again. He noticed her wings, which were always a pale green to begin with, had faded to an almost white pigment.
“We never… W-We never flew together,” the sentence was less than a whisper, his lips refusing to properly form the words. His tongue felt stuck and swollen in his mouth, like a bee had taken upon itself to sting him there. “You never had Phinae’s cupcakes… You never heard the new songs I downloaded… I never said…” KoaK choked back a sob, hiccupping before crying harder. “I never told you how much I care! You’re my best friend, Shanti! You can’t me dead! You can’t! You can’t! You can’t be dead!” The prince screamed his denial, and it echoed, similarly to the ache in his spine. “It’s my fault… I can’t do anything right… Now Deshou is gonna be destroyed, and I can’t do anything about it!” –a bitter chuckle– “You’re dead!” he exclaimed, hanging his head. “And I can do nothing.” The words came out flatly, as if he’d drained himself of all emotion. The dull ache in his back grew fiercer, urging him to recognize it, like a child calling for their parent’s attention. He gave it the satisfaction, and looked back.
“My wings…” KoaK whispered it, the pain growing stronger as he acknowledged it. Nothing lay folded on his back, there were no appendages covering his shoulder blades and stretching out to feel the air. They’d been ripped away, removed and never to be returned to the prince. He started screaming, as loud as he could.
He screamed for Shanti. He screamed for his parents. He screamed for the city, for Zej, for Phinae, for everything he’d failed to do. He screamed because of Kumaru. He screamed at himself, for pulling out that knife; for losing his temper. He hated it. He hated the piercing cry from his own vocal chords, which were threatening to give out at such noise. He screamed even louder, urging himself to give up, urging himself to choke on the sound. He wanted to. He wanted out.
KoaK stood and began beating his fists against the walls, trying to stand on the metal rings jutting out from them to find purchase and climb up. Climb up somewhere. Anywhere. He had to get out of this room; he had to escape. He had to stop crying.  He had to try, for Shanti and everyone else. He had to give Zej’s jacket and boots back when he returned home, the prince didn’t know he was no longer wearing them. He had to fly home as quickly as possible to warn his parents, though he had no wings.
“I thought I could do it! I knew I could f***ing do it! I said I would! I swore, I think I swore! Why can’t I do one goddamn thing right?!” He screamed the words and then the noises became guttural and animalistic. The prince was clawing at his throat, trying to stop the screaming. He didn’t know it was himself that was making the sounds anymore. He was gone; he was somewhere else.
“I’m home! I’m home, I’m home, home, home!” He insisted to the empty room, his gaze falling on Shanti. “Get up!” he retained his loud volume, pouncing her lifeless form and shaking her roughly by the shoulders. “Wake up, Shanti! I need you! I thought you cared about me, so why are you still asleep?! Wake up! Come on, we have to get out of here and get back home!” he clenched his jaw before hitting her, causing her head to loll to the side, blood slipping from her nose. KoaK’s eyes widened and he jumped away, pressing himself against the wall. “I’m sorry-!” he shouted, shaking his head. “I need out. I need out!” he looked up at the ceiling, the walls, the floor, searching for some kind of exit to crawl through, but there was nothing. Any doors that had led out of this room had been sealed for the prince himself.
KoaK slid down the wall, hugging his knees the second he was sitting. “It’ll be okay, won’t it? I’ll get out! I have to…” KoaK’s voice finally cracked and he quieted, looking at the floor with an empty expression. In all of his excitement, he’d smeared blood onto his hands and the wall, making the room look all the more menacing. “It’s okay…” KoaK mouthed the words, unable to speak. He’d speak no more, just as Shanti would never again voice a syllable.
“Sorry, Mom, Dad… Shanti,” he mouthed another apology, burying his face into his knees afterwards. He did not notice the cold glint of the knife, lying in a corner for him to use if he chose to, nor did he see the unperceivable hole in the top left corner of the room.
He stayed quiet.
He would stay quiet.
Because, it would always be okay…
Wouldn’t it?