Kidnapped?

P/S: It was at that moment Caedes felt his whole world crumble as he remembered one of the memories that just played in his head.

***

"Can you please hold me?"

A young boy entered a luxurious room. He wore black robes and a pair of wooden sandals. There, a lady in her late 20's sat on a king-sized bed, its sheets white. The walls covering the room had various inscriptions written on them in black.

"Mommy, I can't find my teddy!" With a sad expression, young Caedes walked towards his mom. He couldn't sleep without his teddy.

The woman wore a purple gown, she bent towards the boy and pulled him into a hug. Slowly caressing his hair.

"Aww, My baby lost his teddy?" It'll be fine, okay? Come on, let's find your teddy."

***

Jester's POV

"Mommy… can you please hold me?" The boy whispered, and a single tear slipped down his cheek.

I watched him closely. His small frame trembled as invisible chains seemed to wrap tighter around him, threatening to crush the fragile life he clung to. I could see it in his eyes—he was caught between wanting to break free and fearing what that freedom would cost him. The truth he was running from was far more terrifying than the lies he told himself.

"No! I was not abandoned!" Caedes screamed, his voice raw and filled with anger. He glared at me, trying to summon the strength to make me flinch, but I didn't. His rage was nothing new. I'd seen it before. He stormed toward me, fists clenched, desperate to lash out, to make me feel the pain he carried.

But he didn't understand. He wasn't the only one who had been abandoned.

'You weren't the only one, Keiren.' I thought to myself as I watched him. If only he knew. If Keiren hadn't given up his right to the throne, perhaps things would have been different—for the both of us. That bitter thought burned inside me, a flame I couldn't extinguish, no matter how much time had passed.

I clenched my fists as I stared at him. His fury, his hatred—it all mirrored mine from so long ago. Keiren had inhabited this boy's body now, but the resentment, the unresolved hatred... it was just like mine in the past. He was still blind to the truth of what had been taken from him.

But it wasn't time for him to know. Not yet.

In a blink, I let the world shift around him. The hospital bed reappeared, and Caedes collapsed onto it, exhausted. He didn't even try to fight anymore. He was tired. I could feel the weight crushing him, and part of me—part of me, deep down—understood it.

Two days later, I watched from the shadows as Caedes rummaged through the space drawer. It always fascinated me how quickly he adapted to new surroundings. Despite everything, he had learned a lot about this domain in just a couple of days. The technology here was far more advanced than anything he had known in Egypt, and he was learning to navigate it with surprising ease.

Still, for all his adaptability, he was broke. That was something he couldn't outrun, and I could see the faint frustration in his eyes as he asked Simon for money. Pride was a funny thing—it made you weak, even when you thought it made you strong.

Simon, for all his usefulness, was still wary of Caedes. I could see the unease in the man's eyes when their gazes met. Simon hadn't forgotten the blood incident. Caedes' loss of control was a reminder of just how dangerous he could be, and Simon knew that.

Caedes pulled on a plain white t-shirt, some torn jeans, and black sneakers. He looked different now, more subdued. The wildness that had defined him in the forest had been tempered. He didn't look like a beast anymore, but that didn't make him any less dangerous.

A small boy named Ralph entered the room, his eyes wide with fear. I almost felt sorry for the child—he was terrified of Caedes, no doubt remembering the day Caedes had forgotten to consume blood and nearly lost control.

"Where's Simon?" Caedes asked, his voice softer this time, as though trying to ease the boy's terror.

"U-Uncle Simon's waiting for you at the reception," Ralph stammered. "He asked me to get you."

Without a word, Caedes followed him. I could see the slight bitterness in his expression, a mix of guilt and frustration. He hadn't meant to scare the boy, but the damage was done.

At the reception, Simon was already there, waiting. The man seemed relieved that the process was over, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He smiled, that calculating glint still in his eyes.

"The procedure's done," Simon said, smirking. "You can rest, buy some equipment, and settle in. I'll be in touch."

Caedes nodded, barely listening, his mind already elsewhere. I could see the wheels turning in his head. He had seen the map of this realm, and it had clearly dawned on him how vast the world truly was.

"I guess Egypt wasn't the whole world after all…" Caedes muttered under his breath.

He asked Simon for help finding an apartment, and Simon obliged, giving him the name of someone who could help. I watched as Caedes turned and left, eager to escape the confines of the hospital.

And then… She arrived.

Out of thin air, a girl materialized, grabbing onto Caedes' shoulders with a grip far tighter than necessary. Her eyes were wide with shock, her pale face a mask of fear and disbelief as she stared at him, scanning him like she was trying to figure out if what she was seeing was real.

I knew exactly who she saw. It was the same thing I had gone through long ago. My eyes subconsciously betrayed my face. The I don't give a fuck attitude I pulled in front of everyone faltered. No. I needed to see her- Hold her in my arms. My eyes turned misty and my hands started trembling. 

I know she couldn't see me..But oh. How I wished she could- 

The girl pulled out a coin-shaped device, clicking it twice before tossing it onto the ground. It expanded, transforming into a hovercar in a flash of light. Caedes caught off guard, barely had time to process what was happening before she forced him into the front seat.

With mild amusement, my eyes looked at him; as he sat there, dazed and confused.

And I'm sure the thought crossed his mind, clear as day: 'Did I just get kidnapped?'

After eons maybe, I gave myself the permission to smile. 

***