Prologue: Grand Opening

Even though it's almost April and school is about to start, my parents and I are still in a cold war. The reason? When I graduated from junior high, I wanted to go to a music conservatory. Of course, my parents would never agree to that. Without a doubt, they would say something like, "Just stay in Monsoon High School. The classical orchestra there is just as outstanding," typical words from outsiders. Admittedly, the classical orchestra at Monsoon High School is exceptional, but that music conservatory is a sacred place for those of us who play instruments; it's the harbor where dreams set sail.

After saving up enough money, I planned to pay my own tuition. If they still refused to let me go, I would just sign up on my own. However, when I went to find my ID and household registration book, I realized that my intentions had been discovered. All that was left in the place where my ID should have been was a piece of paper with my mother's handwriting:

"Please behave yourself, Cleo."

In the end, although I got into Monsoon High School as they wished, I stayed in the dormitory and hardly ever went home.

Although they might have their reasons, I couldn't let go of my resentment. At least let me be a little rebellious.

"Cleo, are you falling asleep?" a classmate next to me tapped my shoulder.

"No, just thinking about something."

"How's the program? I heard the Monsoon Festival is especially fun. I've heard about it since elementary school."

"Especially fun? Well... it's true that the festival is grand. All the teachers and students are gathered in this auditorium."

On the first day of the festival, each class performs its own program on stage.

"Next up is Class 1 of the sophomore year. That incredibly handsome senior is also in this class," my classmate said with stars in her eyes.

"It's going to be 'The Sleeping Beauty - Revised,'" the host announced.

"Sleeping Beauty! That senior must be playing the prince!"

"Quiet!" I gave my classmate a stern look.

Amidst thunderous applause, the performance began.

"The king had a daughter, beautiful and with a voice as sweet as honey. But at the age of sixteen, she was cursed to sleep forever in the center of the dark forest. Only the bravest hero and the most sincere love's kiss could awaken the princess."

An ordinary beginning, but the live music accompaniment was unexpectedly captivating. The blend of flute and piccolo melodies was melodious and lively, sometimes short and crisp, sometimes drawn-out. The string quartet served as the main melody, complemented perfectly by the piano, clearly played by our orchestra teacher. Different timbres portrayed different sensory experiences brought about by different notes, giving the audience a deep sense of fairy tale.

It was evident that the accompanists were the senior students of the orchestra. The organizers of this event in Class 1 of the sophomore year must have gone to great lengths to invite them.

"The dark forest, filled with creatures, where the roots of the trees are said to absorb humans as nutrients, and where there are countless beasts such as tigers, leopards, and wolves. Only by overcoming numerous obstacles can one reach the center, a lake. Those who die in the forest are thrown at the entrance as a warning; this is the iron rule of the witch who cursed the princess.

"The witch carried the crystal bed of the princess to an island in the center of the lake. The king and queen wanted to accompany the princess, but were prevented by the ministers for the sake of the country's stability. In the end, only one knight accompanied them. The knight waited outside the crystal house, waiting for the hero to awaken the princess."

A fully armored knight stood in front of the crystal house, while the princess lay on the crystal bed inside, her face unseen.

"For this, the king issued a proclamation, calling on the bravest warriors from all over the land to awaken the princess."

Here, the prince was transformed into a hero; quite a significant change.

"Respected king, I have trained in martial arts since childhood and am the strongest man in the country. I will surely bring back the princess for you," said the hero.

"Go, hero."

"Hero number one entered the forest and never returned."

"Respected king, I have been an archer since childhood and am the most famous marksman in the land. The roots of the forest cannot touch me, and the beasts are no match for me. I will bring the princess back for you," said the archer.

"Go, hero."

"This was the umpteenth time the king had said these words, and countless heroes had disappeared in the dark forest. The archer's body was found two days later."

"As more and more heroes died, fewer and fewer people ventured into the dark forest."

"The king had to consult with the ministers."

"Respected king, please stop issuing these proclamations. The country is in a state of fear and unrest," said the prime minister.

"But what about the princess?" the king demanded.

"We dare not suggest abandoning the princess, but..."

"Enough! Are you suggesting that I abandon the princess?"

"No, your majesty."

With the king's anger, the other ministers also knelt down.

"Wow, Cleo, the king and the ministers are really good at acting."

"The costumes are also exquisite."

The play was exceptionally well-received, and I couldn't help but get immersed in it.

"King, please calm down."

Two men entered from outside, seemingly unremarkable.

"Who are you?"

"We are elf swordsmen from a distant land. I am Yone, and he is Yasu. We made a pact with the great elf and are determined to bring back the princess for you."

"Go, heroes."

The king said weakly, then added, "This is the last time. If you both fail, I will have no choice but to send the army. There will be no further discussion!"

Saying this, the king walked back, ignoring the ministers' attempts to dissuade him.

"You are Yasu and Yone, right? The future of this kingdom depends on you. Please bring back the princess," the prime minister said to the two brothers.

"After speaking, the prime minister walked away, and the princess's name was his idea. He had watched her grow up and couldn't forgive himself for abandoning her for the sake of the country."

"These two brothers are quite something," someone added.

"It seems our burden just got heavier," Yone said to Yasu.

The two of them stood at the entrance of the dark forest, fists clenched.

"For the prime minister, for the country, for the princess!"

"Fully armed, the brothers entered the dark forest."

Like those stage dramas, the later part of the story naturally involves the brothers overcoming obstacles, nothing new. Their cooperation is extremely tacit, and they reach the center of the lake in just one day.

"That island in the middle of the lake must be where the princess sleeps," Yone said.

"The lake looks suspicious," Yasu said. He threw a stone, and it instantly melted.

"We'll have to use the blessing of the great ice elf, once a month,"

Together, the brothers exclaimed, "Oh Ice Spirit of the North, grant us the reversal of fate, freeze everything!" In an instant, the lake turned into a frozen river. Crossing the icy expanse, they reached the island and, after a while, discovered a crystal house at its center. Suddenly, a knight covered in rust approached from beside the house.

"Who goes there?" exclaimed Yone.

"I am the princess's knight," the knight replied. "Beware, this crystal house is the Chamber of Desire. Many warriors have perished here."

"Thank you, but we are enlightened practitioners," Yasue reassured, patting the knight's shoulder. With that, the brothers entered the crystal house.

The walls were translucent, resembling agate, pearls, diamonds, and other precious gems. In the middle lay the princess, peacefully asleep on a crystal bed. As spectators, we couldn't see her face, but the brothers' expressions seemed off, different from their previous acting, more genuine.

At this moment, the narrator spoke. "The brothers gazed at the sleeping princess with intense concentration, completely immersed." The accompanying music suddenly ceased, and the audience held their breath in anticipation of the princess's appearance. The venue fell into complete silence.

Yone, as the elder brother, took the first step towards the bed, then the second, and the third, until he stood by its side. Bending down slowly, he approached the princess, her lips only about 50 cm away from his. At this distance, anyone could feel liberated, achieving both fame and fortune, and most importantly, the kiss of this extraordinary beauty—a blessing one couldn't obtain in three lifetimes.

Just as he was about to kiss her, Yone was stopped by Yasue.

"What are you doing, Yasue?" asked Yone.

"Elder brother, may I have this chance?" pleaded Yasue.

This was the power of the Chamber of Desire, amplifying one's innermost desires limitlessly. The brothers hadn't imagined they would end up in such a predicament, despite all their careful preparations. Their biggest mistake was assuming the princess was just an ordinary pretty girl, and that it didn't matter who kissed her.

No matter how they tried to change the situation, there was only one mouth between them. Even if they took the extreme route of each taking a turn to kiss her, the first kiss would still hold extraordinary significance.

"No, I'm the elder brother."

"Can you let me have this chance? Once successful, all the rewards and status will be yours."

"Impossible!"

"Then don't blame me for being heartless."

"Nor me for being ungrateful!"

The brothers picked up their swords, facing each other. The scene entered a stalemate.

With a sudden lunge, the younger brother thrust his sword forward. The elder brother dodged to the left, then swung horizontally. The younger brother defended with both hands using the back of his sword.

Staggering, the younger brother took three steps back.

The brothers fought fiercely, neither gaining the upper hand.

"Cleo..." A classmate suddenly spoke to me.

"What's wrong? Are you disappointed because your senior didn't appear?" I asked.

"That's part of it, but don't you feel the brothers are fighting a bit too intensely?" they replied.

Indeed, it was visible to the naked eye that the prop swords they were using had already bent slightly. Typically, stage fights were graceful, like a dance, but their movements lacked elegance.

Most importantly, their eyes betrayed their true emotions. It was almost certain that they were brawling rather than acting.

As the brothers continued their intense fight, the audience grew curious about the reason behind their conflict—the princess. What did she look like?

Suddenly, the elder brother took a step forward, swung his sword with his right hand, and the younger brother could only defend himself. However, it turned out to be a feint; the elder brother used his left hand to grasp the younger brother's sword hand and then struck his leg with the sword.

With a sharp sound, the younger brother endured the pain and retaliated by hitting the elder brother's hand.

At this moment, the narrator spoke again.

"As the brothers fought until they were both exhausted, the spirit remnants used earlier drifted into their bodies," while on stage, numerous white particles floated around. "These spirit remnants triggered memories of the brothers' childhood to adulthood."

Regardless of whether it was a fight or a play, the farce should have ended by now, but it seemed that fate had other plans. The two actors continued to brandish their swords, as if they hadn't heard the instructions to stop given by someone from the backstage.

This stage drama undoubtedly required a great deal of effort. Long rehearsals, meticulous scripts, venues, and costume designs—all could be ruined by their impulsive emotions.

No, it wasn't just impulsive emotions that caused this. The root cause should be the conflict arising from their observations of the princess on the crystal bed. Although the script also arranged a similar plot, the conflict there was genuine. Or perhaps their relationship wasn't good to begin with?

The audience still seemed to think they were acting and hoped to end this farce before the audience realized what was happening.

How would this farce end?

And what did the princess actually look like?

"Stop right there!" came a voice from backstage, not loud but firm. It seemed that this debacle could only be forcibly stopped now. What a pity for all the effort everyone put in. One could only imagine what fate awaited these troublemakers in the class. The source of the voice was the knight from before, making his way from backstage with the distinct clinking of plastic armor. "Please, do not approach the princess any further, Elf Swordsmen," he said, his words tinged with anger. With that, he removed his own prop armor, revealing a sleek white servant's outfit underneath. The previously silent narrator finally spoke up. "The knight who guards the princess couldn't bear to watch anymore and is going to intervene." The orchestra, silent until now, began to play once more. Approaching the crystal bed, the knight removed his helmet and placed it gently on the ground. With graceful precision, he drew his sword and swiftly drew a line in front of him, issuing a stern warning. "Cross this line, and you face death." The knight was tall and handsome, exuding an undeniable aura. "Ah, ah, ah! It's the senior!" It seemed he was indeed the senior mentioned earlier, a textbook handsome guy. "Prince... I..." The elder brother seemed at a loss, looking somewhat guilty. And that's why they called the knight "Prince." "Anyone who dares to approach the princess further, anyone who continues to fight, will have to deal with me." His voice was commanding, filled with authority. He exchanged a glance with the troublemakers, gesturing for them to argue or retaliate. "Prince, I can't accept this. I've worked tirelessly since childhood, all for this moment. If it weren't for him, I would have succeeded long ago." The elder brother spoke with a hint of stutter, expressing his frustration. "Why does everything good always happen to you, big brother? I've already prepared myself to give up everything, yet he still won't let me have it." The younger brother continued, seemingly with more beneath the surface. "Poor and pitiful souls, haven't you realized yet? Only the most sincere love can break the curse. You can't even pass the trial of the Desire Chamber, let alone talk about sincerity. What you're doing now is a betrayal to your own efforts and to those who have hoped for you. People like you are simply unworthy of the princess." The voice grew magnetic yet cold. As if provoked, the brothers lunged at the knight with their swords, only to be effortlessly subdued. They had no choice but to slink away backstage. Only the princess and the knight remained. Everyone expected the knight to kiss the princess and awaken her. Instead, he knelt and gently kissed her hand. The background faded to black. "Is this enough for you?" The spotlight fell on a witch-like figure, the one who cursed the princess. The knight remained silent. "I never expected that the Desire Chamber I made would become the deadliest trial for the warriors." "I just wanted to find the one who could truly awaken the princess." "That must have been difficult for you, Prince." "For both of us." "To be continued..." With those four words from the narrator, the story finally came to an end. From the narration and the accompaniment, it was clear that this was all improvised. Yet what a remarkable performance it was, showcasing exceptional acting skills and a strong mindset. What a shining individual, not only saving everyone's efforts but also rescuing those two troublemaking students. Applause thundered like rolling thunder. "Cleo, why are you staring? Wasn't I right? The senior is so handsome, isn't he?" The next day, the headline in the news department was dedicated to this superbly talented and aloof senior. Class 2 of the second year also concealed the incident of the performance mishap. A fan club for the "Prince" was established, with me as the president. But what did the princess actually look like? And why did the two brothers seem so shaken upon seeing her? It seemed like no one cared anymore.

So why exactly did they address him as "the Prince"? Cleo couldn't help but wonder.