The ground here knew only one color... red. Amid the screams of soldiers and the groans of the wounded that filled the air, Adrian was simply trying to survive another day. But one thing was certain—sweet, innocent Adrian was no longer the same. He had matured, learned to recognize everything around him, and finally understood the truth about the emperor he had never met throughout his childhood. But he no longer cared much. He had suffered enough in this place, to the point that even the soldiers had shunned him and spoken ill of him. After all, even if he was a prince, there were no princes on the battlefield. The real reason, however, was that the emperor had abandoned him long ago. And now, he had only one goal left... to survive, just so he could one day return to the palace—to the sister who had truly loved him and accepted him for who he was.
"It's been five years since I last saw her..." he murmured softly, his voice filled with sorrow and heartbreak.
"I wonder... is she still doing well?"
"We're under attack!" one of the warriors shouted as he ran, with monsters gathering behind him and lunging fiercely to satisfy their hunger.
The warriors gathered and began fighting. Most of them belonged to Section "Zero"—those who could not use magic and relied solely on their swords. Some managed to kill the monsters, while others met their deaths between their fangs. As for Adrian, he was struggling desperately to kill even a single monster, and he was the one who had suffered the most injuries among them. In a fleeting moment, one of the monsters crept up behind him and swung its claws toward his body, intending to sink them into his flesh—but before it could do so, a warrior lunged forward with deadly speed and killed the monster with a single strike.
Adrian's eyes widened in surprise and confusion before he asked, "Why... did you help me?"
The warrior smiled faintly and said, "My name is Albert. What about you?"
Adrian hesitated for a moment before answering, "I... I'm Adrian."
Albert chuckled softly and said cheerfully, "Heeey, that's a nice name. So, Adrian, let's fight well—and afterward, let's become friends."
Adrian froze for a moment, his expression reflecting his astonishment.
Friends? Was it really possible for him to have a friend?
The battle lasted longer than usual, but it finally ended with the death of the last monster.
"It looks like we've suffered heavy losses..." Albert said as he surveyed the area filled with corpses and blood, before turning toward Adrian and wiping the blood from his face.
"So, Adrian, will you be my friend?"
Then he suddenly noticed how pale Adrian's face had become.
"Adrian! Hold on!"
Adrian collapsed to the ground, covered in blood, after sustaining an injury to his right shoulder and several wounds scattered across his body.
---
In the late Empress's Palace, Diana sat in the garden, indulging in her only hobby—painting. She was painting her beautiful family: her mother, her brother, and herself... She had never painted her father, because he had never been part of that family.
Although everyone believed that Princess Diana lived a life of luxury and tranquility, the truth was that she was like a bird trapped in a broken cage, with a severed wing that left her unable to fly. Despite her young age, the signs of weakness were evident on her beautiful face.
She whispered to herself with a faint smile, "I wonder if Adrian is doing well now... I wonder what he looks like these days. He must have grown taller, too."
Diana spent most of her time writing letters to her absent brother. She did not know whether he would ever read them, but she wrote each one with genuine love and longing.
The First Letter:
Adrian, do you remember the day I told you about our father? You were so excited to meet him... Do you still want to see him? Or have you already realized the truth?
The Second Letter:
Do you remember that red flower? You always said you loved it, but it was poisonous... so I never let you get near it.
The Third Letter:
Adrian, the fact that our father hates you doesn't mean you're a bad person. I'm certain that if my mother were still alive... she would love you even more than she loves me.
The Fourth Letter:
Have you made any friends yet? I hope everyone likes you...
Every time she sent a letter, she received no reply. She was afraid, but hope never left her heart, for she was certain that he was doing well. She believed that voluntary military enlistment involved nothing more than training and fighting in distant battles. But what Diana did not know... was that Adrian had already been sent to the front lines, and none of her letters had ever reached him.
---
At the camp...
Adrian's wounds had been treated and bandaged. Albert sat beside him, looking at him with quiet sadness. He knew that Adrian was the prince, but he pretended not to know so as not to embarrass him.
Adrian stirred slightly and opened his eyes with great difficulty. He then tried to sit up despite the pain, but Albert gently stopped him, saying, "Don't get up yet. You need to rest some more."
Adrian glanced at him from the corner of his eye and murmured, "I'm... fine."
Albert had nothing to say, so he simply whispered, "All right..."
One of the soldiers entered the tent carrying food and began distributing it to everyone. But when he reached Adrian, a mocking smile spread across his face as he sneered, "Oh, there's no food left... Looks like I miscounted, Your Highness. But don't worry, you can always return to your palace and eat there, can't you?"
Anger blazed in Albert's eyes. He sprang to his feet, grabbed the soldier by the throat, and lifted him off the ground.
He shouted with barely restrained fury, "Who do you think you are to speak to him like that? The palace?! Is it even close to the camp? Are you joking with me, you idiot?!"
The soldier began choking as he struggled to break free, but Adrian weakly reached out and touched Albert's arm, signaling him to stop. Albert took a deep breath and suppressed his anger before releasing the soldier, who fell to the ground and then fled, gasping in fear and panic.
After a few moments of silence, Adrian left the tent, ignoring the soldiers' stares. He headed toward a nearby tree and slowly climbed it until he reached a high branch. He sat down and let out an exhausted breath.
He raised his eyes toward the overcast sky, watching the clouds slowly gather... then closed his eyes and surrendered to sleep, far away from the soldiers' noise, where no one could see him and no one could hate him.
Night slowly fell, while Adrian remained asleep on the branch.
His face was contorted as though he were trapped in a terrible nightmare... Deep within his dream, he was playing with Diana. They were laughing and running together as they always did, but suddenly, the emperor appeared, pulled Diana away from him, and disappeared into the shadows with her.
Adrian stood frozen in shock, calling out to her in a trembling voice, but there was no answer... He was all alone in the thick fog that gradually began to swallow him.
The distant roars of monsters echoed through the air. He spun around and began running blindly, his breathing growing faster as his feet stumbled over the muddy ground. Suddenly, he collided with something enormous standing before him.
He raised his head in terror and saw a gigantic monster looming over him, its eyes glowing ominously. He tried to escape, but the monster reached out and seized him as though he were a mere doll. Adrian screamed and struck the monster's arm helplessly and fearfully until the creature opened its enormous mouth to swallow him—and at that very moment... Adrian's eyes flew open in terror at the sound of thunder rumbling across the sky.
He was breathing with difficulty, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to calm his heart after the nightmare.
He raised his gaze toward the sky. At first, the rain fell gently, but it soon grew heavier until it drenched him completely. The raindrops were cold, yet for a moment, they made him feel—as though he were truly alive.
Quiet footsteps approached the base of the tree.
A familiar voice spoke in a calm tone. "You'll get sick if you stay up here, Your Highness."
Adrian slowly lowered his gaze toward Albert and said softly, "I thought you wanted us to be friends... so why are you calling me Your Highness now?"
Albert fell silent for a moment before smiling faintly and saying, "Haha, forgive me... I thought you were refusing my friendship."
Then he added with a sideways smile, raising his head toward the rain, "So, Adrian, are you going to come down before you get sick?"
Adrian continued staring at the clouds, which were occasionally illuminated by flashes of lightning, before murmuring in a low voice, "Albert... do you think humans can change?"
Silence lingered for a moment before Albert replied in a calm voice weighed down with emotion, "Who knows? Even I don't know... But I'm certain that humans, no matter how hard they try, never change... ever."