Leo stopped after multiple attempts to wake Max.
He felt a tightness in his throat, making it difficult to speak; his breathing became shallow, and his whole body started trembling as he sat next to Max's bed.
With a shaky voice, he finally spoke, "It was all my fault. If that day I hadn't forced you to go on that hiking trip, you would be safe and sound right now. Your mom must be so worried. How am I going to face her? If you weren't my best friend, nothing would have happened to you. Please wake up, Max. Please."
As he held Max's hand close, tears started rolling down his cheeks.
Max stirred slightly, feeling the faint, wet touch of those tears on his skin.
Max opened his eyes and immediately sat up as he saw Leo crying beside his bed.
"What just happened? Why are you crying, bro?"
Upon hearing Max's voice, Leo looked up.
"Why did you take so long to wake up, jerk? You nearly gave me a heart attack," Leo said as he hugged Max.
"Wait, who are you?" Max asked.
"What…?" Leo couldn't believe what he just heard. "Have you lost your memories? Does your head hurt anywhere?"
Max replied as he pulled away from the hug, "No, my head doesn't hurt at all, nor have I lost my memories. I'm completely fine. I just don't get why you are being so melodramatic. This isn't the Leo I know."
"Oh!"
"Now that you know I'm perfectly fine, can you please tell me where we are right now?" Max enquired.
"I am as clueless as you are. I just woke up as well. The last thing I remember was us going inside that cave and… and…" Leo suddenly held his head as he started pounding it crazily.
"My head is hurting like crazy."
"It's okay, dude, don't put too much pressure on your brain. Let's just ask somebody here. So, do you know anyone here?" Max asked, his eyes filled with hope.
"I know someone who can answer our questions," Leo replied.
"And who is that somebody?" Max asked.
"The royal physician."
"What? Royal physician? Where did that come from? Are you sure YOUR head isn't hurt anywhere?"
"That's what I thought at first, but it's true. You will know when he comes," said Leo as he got up to call the royal physician into the room.
Leo stepped out of the room and looked through the hallway. He couldn't believe what he just saw.
The hallway had a series of arched ceilings supported by stone columns with intricate moldings and textured surfaces.
The interior design seemed straight out of a fairytale.
"Mister Royal Physician, are you there? Mister Royal Physician?"
Upon hearing Leo's calls, the royal physician rushed to him and asked, "Sir, do you need any kind of help?"
"Ah… yes… can you follow me for a sec?"
"For a sec? He must be really unwell. I have never heard any young master speaking in such a strange manner," the royal physician wondered.
Both of them entered the room and sat near Max's bed.
"Ohhh, Young Master Maximus, you too have regained consciousness. What a miracle it is. Thank you, Lord, for protecting our dears," the royal physician said as soon as he saw Max.
"Maximus...? My name is Max."
"This incident must have left some damage in their heads; they can't even recall their names properly," the royal physician thought to himself but didn't dare speak it out loud.
Leo finally spoke, "As you know right now, we both are kind of unwell, have no idea where we are, and cannot recall anything either."
"And you are kind of the only guy we know here, so please do tell us what this strange place is, why you are calling me Maximus, how we ended up here, and why you are called Royal Physician instead of doctor???" Max added impatiently.
"One question at a time, sir."
"Okay. So tell us, where are we right now?" Leo enquired.
"Sir, you both are in the kingdom of Eldoria."
"Eldoria?? Or do you mean El Dorado?" Max was beyond confused.
"El Dorado? Sir, this is the kingdom of Eldoria."
Leo and Max exchanged glances.
"Okay, so tell us about this kingdom in detail."
"The Kingdom of Eldoria is known for being the best kingdom in the entire world… known for its international trade, rich culture, fine dining, and beautiful architecture. The rulers of Eldoria are the most powerful and influential figures, as they possess the crown of the highest value."
"Crown of the highest value?"
"Yes, the crown is embedded with the most powerful gemstone in the entire universe, made from various celestials of the cosmos."
"The gemstone grants its bearer not only power but also immortality. Anyone who possesses it becomes immune to aging, disease, and death, living forever unless the gem's power is taken away."
"The gem's power is taken away once in a hundred years to prevent tyranny and destruction."
"How is the power taken away?" Max interrupted.
"The descendants of this land suffered a lot, and the entire kingdom was in ruins because of cruel tyranny. Hence, they prayed every day to the Almighty for a miracle."
"And therefore, this gemstone was provided with a condition: the bearer must possess extraordinary qualities, and the selection process must be fair."
This gave birth to the foremost principle of the kingdom.
Max and Leo were so absorbed in the story the Royal Physician was telling that they lost themselves in it.
The royal physician continued, "So the foremost principle is to provide equal chances to everyone during the selection process."
Max and Leo sat perfectly still, their eyes wide and unblinking, hanging on every word of the Royal Physician.
"And what are we doing here ?"
"And as per your identities, both young masters are next in line to the throne."
Max and Leo froze, their mouths slightly open, eyes widened.
"We are next in line?"