Uncrowned Prince

WVSU Hospital, Iloilo. A fourteen-year-old kid anxiously taps the elevator door. The few seconds inside the elevator feels like years to him because he's worried that he might be too late.

His name is Skye, a third-year high school student studying in a well-known school with the highest rate of top notch college graduates in the whole country. Just as their math teacher was about to start the class, Skye received a phone call from his uncle Tom that his grandfather's condition is worsening and wants him to come to the hospital immediately.

Skye hastily explained the situation to his teacher and excused himself from the class. As he reached his car, he immediately turned on the engine and drove towards the hospital like a madman. Even bypassing intersections even with red lights flashing. As he came closer to the front entrance of the hospital, he saw a beautiful woman in her late twenties standing beside three private and two hospital guards. Her name is Alicia, his uncle Tom's secretary.

Skye parked his car in the front entrance and rushed towards the building, without turning off the car's engine and closing the door. As he rushed inside, Alicia looked at one of the private bodyguards and pointed at Skye's car, hinting him to park it somewhere.

"How's my grandfather?"

Skye asked without turning towards Alicia as he walks anxiously towards the VVIP elevator.

"The chairman's body continues to deteriorates according to the doctors, young master. Even the best doctors scouted from overseas to cure the chairman cannot do anything about his condition. They said that the chairman's condition has never been seen in the entire world and is infinitely impossible to cure."

Skye, Alicia and the two bodyguards went inside the elevator as Alicia pressed a gold button with a word "PENTHOUSE" written on it. That's right, a penthouse was created at the rooftop of the hospital because of one patient.

"Those damn bloodsuckers. The corporation paid millions for their service yet they're saying that they can't cure my grandfather's disease?"

Alicia then just stood behind him silently because she has almost no idea about medicine, which led to the current situation where Skye just keeps on tapping the door.

Skye only has his grandfather left in his family. According to his grandfather, his parents died on accident while he was still a baby so Skye does not have recollection about his parents. His grandmother, Marian, died after giving birth to his father, Alexander. Helena, his mother, apparently is an orphan and has no relative they know of whatsoever.

The moment the elevator doors open, Skye immediately went out of it and saw a sea of plant which almost covered the whole floor. Other than the sea of flower, there is only a room in which his grandfather stayed and a small storage room.

He was about to walk towards his grandfather's room but he saw his grandfather in a wheelchair being pushed by his uncle Tom in the middle of different kinds of flowers.

"Grandfather, why are you outside? Have you taken your medicines?"

"It does not matter anymore child. I know my body better than those machine displays on their screens. I have not much time left."

Old man Kristoff answered calmly. Some old, dying men who have higher status in society would exchange most of their wealth to prolong their lifespan. They reek the stench of fear, despair and obsession.

Old man Kristoff's on the other hand, is rather welcoming the beginning of his end. The eyes that mostly contain fear, despair and obsession that can be seen on other is rather absent on him, for his eyes rather contain acceptance, serenity and solitude. Seeing the look in the old man's eyes, Skye seemed to not understand. After all, who does not want to live longer?

Seeing the look on his beloved grandson's face, old man Kristoff turned towards Tom and waved for them to leave. Understanding the old man's intention, Tom immediately bowed and walked towards the elevator together with Alicia and the two bodyguards.

The moment the elevator door closed, the old man returned his gaze towards Skye, sighed, and then smiled.

"Get up child. Help your old man tour this place. I've been here for a long time but i have been mostly in my room."

Old man Kristoff paused for a moment to close his eyes.

"You are old enough child, it's time to tell you about your parents' death."

Skye was about to hold the wheelchair's handle when he heard his grandfather's statement, which caused him to stop his action.

"Mom and dad's? Didn't they die of accident?" Skye answered, confusion evident on his face.

"That's what I told you before since you're not yet ready, even now. But my body is deteriorating much faster than anticipated. I first thought of keeping this secret to my grave, not to tell another soul. But every time I look at you, the image of the last time I've seen my son and your mother surface in my mind.

The destruction of my kingdom, the massacre of my people. Those images just keep on surfacing on my mind."

The serenity earlier seen from old man Kristoff was nowhere to be seen, replacing them were helplessness. It seems like he's experience the most terrible thing in the world.

But the helplessness in the old man's eyes only stayed for some moment, replacing them with firm solitude. Skye feels like his grandfather right now are comparable to a floating cloud in the sky, detached from everything and unconstrained by anyone.

"Hear me, child. You are Skye, the son of Prince Alexander and Natural Mage Helena. Heir of the Farra Empire. Your parents and my people died for the sake of protecting you."

Listening to his grandfather, Skye seemed to think that his grandfather is crazy.

'Me? Prince? Is grandfather's condition so bad that he get to think of such things?'

Such thoughts run through Skye's mind while listening to his grandfather.

"Seems like you don't believe me, child."

Noticing his grandfather's strange gaze towards himself, Skye question his grandfather backed.

"But grandfather, if such things happened during my infancy, shouldn't the whole world know about it? No such things happened in the last 20 years. And even if there was, it should be a headline in some news source somewhere."

"Indeed. If it happened in this world, that is. Listen carefully, Skye. We are not beings of this world."

...

"What?!"