Surprised visit

Sora was just sitting in his study doing his usual stuff when he felt a chill run down his spine.

'Something is about to happen.' he thought as he looked out the window.

The chill subsided as he refocused on his papers. 

He was opening letters from different invitations. Sora had started receiving them because of his coming of age ceremony plus after the announcement that he will be the next duke the letters have earned a new spike.

He was so busy he had no time for his friends. He was not only busy with the duties of the next duke but also about finding trickster. He had searched for traces of random situations as well as traces of weird phenomena but found next to nothing.

His plan to visit the Imperial library -the biggest library in the Serian empire- was also on his way. Well he was planning to go after the letters on his desk disappeared along with his task handed by his father.

Suddenly a thought of visiting the church of hope again also crossed his mind.

'That will surely help me understand about the soul connection better.'

But before that comes deities that he didn't even want.

"This will never end will it?" Sora sighed for the nth number of times.

'This kind of thing was never mentioned in books or dramas.' he thought as he opened another letter.

Knock! Knock!

"It's me Sora." the duke's voice came through the door.

"Ah! come in father."

The door creaked open and he saw Duke Salvini enter the room.

"What are you up to? I heard you have been holding up in your study since the day we returned from the imperial palace." his father looked over his desk filled with letters and papers.

He nodded at Sora's work and took the opposite chair across Sora.

Sora kept the letter down and placed his arms on the desk. His face mirrored that of a confused but working adult.

"Just trying to catch up on all these invitations and correspondence. It's endless," he said, motioning to the piles of letters that cluttered his desk. "Since the announcement about me being the next duke, everyone seems eager to meet me."

"It's part of the responsibility. When you wear the title of Duke, people will flock to you—for alliances, favors, and sometimes out of sheer curiosity. But you'll learn to navigate through it all." Duke said as he picked up the letter opener and started playing with it.

Sora sighed again, rubbing his temples. "I know, but it feels overwhelming. Sometimes I wonder if I'm even ready for this."

The duke tilted his head, he placed the knife back down. "You've always been smart and capable, Sora. But being a duke isn't just about intelligence. It's about knowing when to listen and when to act. But most importantly, it's about balance."

"Balance?" Sora asked in confusion.

The duke nodded. "Yes. You need to balance your duty with who you are. It's easy to get lost in all the demands, the politics, and the pressure. But if you forget to be yourself, to take time away from the obligations, you'll burn out before you even begin."

Sora looked down at the papers, his father's words sinking in. He had been so focused on doing everything perfectly that he hadn't realized how little time he had taken for himself. He even postponed his meeting with Arcane and Julian because of it.

"You've been locked in here for days, Sora. You need to take a break."

Sora's eyes showed confusion but hid his annoyance.

'You are the one who handed this job to me and now you are telling me to take a break. Kind of controversial, don't you think father.' Sora thought to himself, daring not to word his thoughts.

"How about we take a walk outside? Clear your mind. There's no better way to think things through than in the fresh air. Besides, I have a few things I want to discuss with you, things you won't find in any letter or invitation."

Sora hesitated for a moment, then sighed and stood up. "You're right. I could use a break." He pushed his chair back and glanced out the window, a new kind of desperation clawed at him. "Let's go."

As they walked through the corridors and out into the gardens, the conversation began to shift to deeper topics—the weight of leadership, the importance of loyalty, and the future of the Salvini family. It was a rare moment of bonding between father and son, one that would resonate with Sora as he continued to grow into his role as the next Duke Salvini.

'It is weird to experience this. But this is nothing short of all the royal dramas I have watched.'

'Living a dream.'

'Yes this world feels like a dream but it is merrily just a twisted reality that I somehow found myself in.' 

As he discussed things with his father the topic shifted to his childhood and about a young prince and an idiot of a magician.

Sora was delighted to hear stories of his father's childhood and about the relationship he had built with both King Serian and Duke Poirot just like him.

As Sora and his father strolled through the gardens, the serene atmosphere began to relax him, though his mind occasionally drifted back to the pile of letters awaiting him. His father, Duke Salvini, continued sharing tales of his youth, especially fond stories of the adventures he had with King Serian and Duke Poirot.

"King Serian wasn't always the stern ruler you see now," Duke Salvini chuckled. "In fact, he was quite the prankster in his youth. Once, he and Duke Poirot played the most elaborate prank on me—kidnapping me right in the middle of a banquet."

Sora raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Kidnapped? How did they manage that?"

Duke Salvini smiled mischievously. "With precise timing and a little magic. They whisked me away under everyone's noses. It took a day for anyone to realize I was gone."

Sora couldn't help but laugh. "I can't imagine someone pulling that off today."

His father's eyes glinted. "Oh, you'd be surprised."

Before Sora could respond, he felt the same chill from earlier return, only this time it was sharper, more intense. His senses flared. Something wasn't right.

Just as Sora opened his mouth to speak, a sudden, dense fog rolled into the garden, enveloping them both. The air thickened unnaturally, muffling all sound. Sora's instincts screamed at him, but the fog was disorienting, making it impossible to see anything clearly.

"Father?" Sora called out, but his voice barely echoed in the dense mist.

There was a moment of eerie silence. Then, from behind the veil of fog, Sora heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps—quick, calculated.

Before Sora could react, a powerful gust of wind knocked him off balance. He stumbled, only to feel a pair of hands grip his arms tightly. He struggled, but the grip was firm and practiced.

"Who—?" Sora started, but the fog began to clear just enough for him to catch a glimpse of two familiar faces: Arcane and Julian.

'What the actual hell??!!!'

"Sorry, Sora," Julian whispered apologetically as he adjusted his hold. "But we- sorry I couldn't wait to meet you."

Arcane, standing beside Julian with a mischievous grin, added, "You've been buried in work for days. We decided it's about time we get you out of here, whether you like it or not."

Sora's eyes widened in disbelief. "This is a kidnapping?!"

'I know I need an outing from work but this is not the time. If I don't finish that I will not be able to complete my visit checklist.' Sora thought as the horror of not being able to finish his work on time came over him.

"Technically," Arcane said with a smirk. "But it's for your own good. Plus with your father and Milton around you are not likely able to leave the house with us."

Before Sora could protest further, Julian mumbled a quick incantation, and the world around him spun as they used a teleportation spell to whisk him away from the gardens. The fog, the garden, and the paperwork in his study all disappeared in a blink.

They landed in an unfamiliar clearing, surrounded by forest. Arcane and Julian finally released their hold on him, and Sora stumbled back, glaring at them both.

"You seriously kidnapped me from my own house?" he asked, completely baffled that this even happened.

Julian rubbed the back of his neck and said "I just wanted to meet you as soon as possible and this was the only option."

Arcane crossed his arms, his grin never fading. "Consider it payback for all the times you've messed with us during training. And besides, it's not a real kidnapping. It's a… forced vacation."

Sora, still caught between shock and amusement, shook his head. "You two are unbelievable. And it wasn't even me who messed up the training session, it was past me ok."

Julian smiled. "Yeah, but we're your best friends now no matter who you are."

As Sora looked into Julian's eyes, something deeper passed between them, an unspoken connection that transcended their words. It was as if there was an invisible thread that tied their souls together, a bond formed not just through friendship but through something far more profound. Julian always knew when Sora was overwhelmed or hiding his true feelings, and Sora always trusted Julian to guide him out of those darker moments.

It was a completely different soul connection from Arcane. This one actually passes feelings and emotions with it. And Sora felt like his most innate thoughts were being exposed. But he didn't look away. He felt a trust that this person even if he knew everything about him he would still stand by his side no matter what. 

Sora could feel that bond now, tugging at him as Julian's genuine concern flooded over him. Sora sighed, finally giving in, feeling the warmth of their soul connection ease his frustration.

After sometime that Sora earned alone after his chat with Arcane he knew that not everything in this world will make sense to him or will he be able to understand so he decided to just leave it and rather understanded and march with the flow of this world.

"Fine," he said softly. "But next time, maybe just ask."

Arcane laughed. "Where's the fun in that?"

Julian smiled at Sora, a knowing glint in his eyes. "We had a feeling you'd come around."

And the golden trio was reunited again after a long long time.

Sora glanced at his two friends, a smirk creeping onto his face. "Alright, what's the plan for this 'vacation'?"

Julian's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Oh, you'll see. This time, we're going all out."