He's not old enough to even hold up a sword and already things like this is happening to him. It's much too early for him to experience all these grief and separation.

The boy was sitting beside him outside the Healer's Room. Awaiting news of the queen, the boy's mother. She collapsed during the chaos in the altar room. And not only that, the boy's brother, Dagan, is now missing. Dead or alive, no one would know now. It has been well over 8 hours since the event happen. And the search and rec team are out looking for the boy, but there has been no news. Not even the remains. Monsters ate it? Maybe. But then, one can never know until one is sure.

The Healer's door opened and the healer came out. She gestured to Grayton to move over to the corner of the hallway, where she hoped the boy wouldn't hear anything that they have to talk about.

Grayton got up and walked with the Healer over to the corner.

"How's the condition?" Grayton asked the Healer.

"It's not good. From the looks of it, I can save Her Highness, but not the baby inside. The baby is still too small and too deep to receive the healing power of my water rune. I... don't know what to do. I'm just afraid of the Queen's condition when she finds out about this."

"Yes, the shock may cause some unhealthy reaction. But then, we cannot exactly hide it from her either. It would be grave in a long-run situation." Grayton replied, worried of the outcome of this situation.

"Well, here's what I think we should do. We wait for the King to arrive, the King can tell her in a more... kinder way. That way the news is given but with mercy." Grayton suggested. Not that good of a suggestion, but so far, it's the best he can think of.

Grayton looked back at the boy and saw the boy standing up in front of the healer's door. The boy was looking at the little available hole between the bottom of the door and the floor. Looking with strange eyes, full of shock and confusion.

"Prince Ruka? Is something the matter?"

"Lights." Ruka replied while slowly turning his head towards Grayton, "Flashing... Blue... Lights... from inside."

Jillia was playing with a book and a couple of crayons. She was just playing as innocently as how she is, doing absolutely nothing wrong.

Until Ruka kicked her book away from her.

Jillia looked up and got mad at him, they yelled at each other for several minutes until Ruka pushed her down and she started to cry. Ruka teased her again for crying and Jillia stopped. She gave him a hurtful and hateful face and picked up her book and went away.

Ruka followed and pushed her down from behind. Jillia went skidding on the floor, belly first. On the floor, she hnaged her head down to cry, and for a brief moment, Ruka looked like he was sorry he did that, but the brief moment ended as he came and stomped on her back.

She pushed his leg away and picked up her books and ran to her room, slamming the door.

Ruka picked up her crayons and puts them aside on a cabinet.

He turned around and tears were streaming down his cheeks. He wiped them off and then ran into the garden to stomp on some ants.

Weeks followed into months and Ruka torments Jillia with little antics everyday. The King, Agares, yelled at Ruka to what almost seems like forever now. The Queen, always just sits around quietly, though she smiles once in a while, but even the smile is weak.

Ruka looks at the queen at these moments and wondered if he'll ever see the old smile.

One morning, Jillia's breakfast was toppled over by Ruka. They were all alone then, only Ruka and Jillia, eating breakfast.

Jillia slammed the table then and slapped Ruka, followed by a question.

"WHY? Why do you always do this to me?"

Ruka rubbed his right cheek, quite red from the slap, and then pushed Jillia off her seat.

"Because you're not Dagan."