“This is stupid, return me this instant. You are nothing but a criminal. You have defiled my existence. You are— “

“Yes, I have disobeyed the law. I stole your ass from its miserable state and it’s obvious that you still want to sunbathe in your misery. Look chii, you have been complaining about a while now. Have you not realized that your complaints have gotten you nowhere? Better have a new plan of action,” he told me after a snort meant to scorn me.

We were still in the skies with no signs of rescue sent by the royal family. Their incompetence to keep me safe was very well put out in display for everyone to pass judgment on. If they were not to be replaced by a better ruling, their mediocre management shall be the downfall of our race.

How could they let this hooligan enter the castle?

If they only guarded me better, then this wouldn’t have happened to me. Now I must pay the price for their ineptitude.

Something heavy hung inside my chest as my eyes latched on to everything they saw. The heaviness in my chest caused me to shift in my place.

I continued to look back to see if anyone was chasing.  In every attempt to peek, my rapitore’s (kidnapper’s) face was there to block me with a smile. He would ask an amused “Yes?” at me.

If I was further exposed to this kind of environment, the Higher-Order would put me under the same process of training again.

Those things will happen again…

The world outside of the Great Tree of Genshi was brighter and far wider.  Everywhere I looked there was a land which extended to no bounds. 

The air was less thick and much lighter to breathe compared to the castle. Despite the endless space to venture into, I couldn’t see anything or anyone else moving.

Amid the vast greens of soil with areas tinted with orange and yellow, there were also huge areas that looked crippled and withered from below. 

As we flew through the skies there were visible lands floating with water pouring down from some of them, creating a pool underneath.

"Where are you taking me?"

"I will take you to a village that I helped a year ago. I need to see how they are doing.” 

"It doesn't have anything to do with me. Take me back." 

"It does have something to do with you. A catastrophe is a dead Ancient. It lives to cause destruction to others. Without the presence of Ancients for more than three decades, the world has been in a horrifying age."

I scowled. "Say what you want but you cannot extract a single drop of sympathy from me."

Lucius let out a 'tsk' as a reply as if he was mocking me and the law that I was abiding by. Once Segreth awakens he will do everything he can to retrieve me. This man will rot in jail. 

The kidnapper ordered Argo to descend. The pegacorn did what it was told in the most heedless way that I had to hold a gasp from the sudden drop. I latched on to the man behind me, causing him to laugh. 

Criminal. 

“We’re here. You can let go now, but I don’t mind if I carry you down.”

“Don’t touch me.” I pushed him away, slipping off Argo but stumbling forward that elicited a snicker from him. My eyes narrowed at the place before us. 

“Where is this? Why are we here?” 

We stood in front of a community with mini huts that had my height. The trees were bent into a dying position with their branches reaching up in desolation. An awful scent of rot lingered. Lucius gritted his teeth.

"It looks like one of them passed by just recently..." Lucius gave me a stern expression. 

"Remove your gloves."

"I refuse. What is your purpose?" I asked him.

He gave me a look of distress and rubbed his forehead. "We will help them. ‘Tis our duty as Ancients.”

What folly was he blabbering about now?

"My only duty is to stay in my room and maintain whatever purity I have left." 

His usual cheery face was scrunched into a bitter state of disbelief. 

Silence connected us to deadly ends. My legs refused to move and walk away; I was pinned by his sharp gaze. 

"Then you are useless. You don't deserve to live. These people behind you have the right to life while you, the Prince of Florencia, have no right to even walk freely. I should have known that I was dragging some deadweight. You are nothing but a scared little prideful scamp. After this, I'll take you back to where your sorry existence belongs. Enjoy your so-called 'life' chii!" he snapped at me.

Lucius stormed away, bumping my shoulder in the process. He walked inside the village, leaving me in isolation. 

Why did I feel so little? Why was I even feeling anything?

My body ran cold. My mind was clouded with confusing thoughts that overwhelmed me.

How could he say such things? I was only doing the things that were meant for my existence. I needed to maintain my purity. My prime duty was to preserve it. I was trained to do so.

Why was he so angered by it? Why was he making me feel such negativity? What was I doing wrong?

I nibbled on my bottom lip, walking hesitantly towards the dying tree.

Lucius wouldn’t seem to be talking to me anytime soon. It was obvious that he was severely angered by my principles, and I did not understand why his words stung so badly.

Was all my training for nothing? How could he break me apart that easily? I worked so hard. I thought I could be numb to anything thrown at me. I raised this barricade to prevent any infiltration because I knew that they were behind me and that they were watching my every move.

I deserved to live just as much as these people. What made them so worthy of life?

Had they suffered enough to the point of numbness?

Had they suffered enough to the point of being reduced to nothingness?

Had they attained that highest form of chastity?

I'll prove to him how much I deserved to live. He cannot just execute words that dare carry my efforts to waste.

I removed my gloves and footwear, feeling the soil beneath my feet.

My hand brushed against the dry surface of the tree. I raised my shirt and exposed the belt wrapped around my waist.

"Just this once..."I whispered to myself. 

I never removed this belt for the past eighteen years that it was already a part of my body.

It was a smooth metallic white belt that had a purple stone in the middle just above my belly button. I did not know what the stone was made of. They never explained much detail relating to it except for the fact that it hindered me from using my powers. 

The translucent stone had black smoke endlessly swirling inside.

I reached down and unclasped the belt from my waist. After letting it fall, green light spread from beneath me. The vibrancy of life expanded towards the village; a tickling sensation in my heart cracked a sinful smile on my lips.

The tree behind me rose to life. I walked to the village, spreading this generous greenery coming out of my body. Grass grew and plants sprouted with different kinds of fruits. The darkness looming was replaced with colourful life. The rotten smell became sweet. A foreign sound escaped my lips as I watched everything around me get resurrected and replenished.

Lucius ran out of the village with wide eyes. Little men followed him out; they stared at me with awe. 

"Otlichno Lucian! (Very good Lucian!)" He spoke proudly. "That's my chii!" He scurried my way, engulfing me in a hug. "I knew you could do it."

I pushed Lucius away. I walked to where my belt was, picking it up. The area under it was left untouched by my power. 

Lucius came up to me and pulled me close to his body. He placed a kiss against my forehead. My toes curled at the prickling sensation of the grass.

"The villagers want to thank you..." He murmured. 

I darted my vision to the little men and women approaching me with teary eyes and happy expressions.

"Thank you, Your Highness! We owe you our gratitude. My son will finally be able to eat something decent. Thank you so much!” Her voice trembled as she bowed nonstop. The rest of the small crowd followed suit; my cheeks warmed that I had to look away from their emotional wreckage. 

"I didn't do it for you..." 

They were letting their emotions get the best of them. They should not express such things openly to people who they didn’t even know well enough. This is why people get easily betrayed.

Lucius sighed. He bore a saddened smile.

"You have a long way to go but I promise to be with you all the way. Je t'aime (I love you) chii."

You love me?

Why do you express such things?

Why do you entrust me with these feelings?

Love?

‘Suppress your emotions...they will lead you to your demise.’

Stop caring for me…

Stop loving me…

I will not return them.

I cannot return them.

I had no capability of doing so.