Leo knew something was wrong the moment he opened the workshop door. The air inside didn't smell like cold iron and oil—it smelled like ozone and a hint of woodsmoke.
And there were four people sitting in his space. On his crates.
One of them was the theatre man.
"Nope," Leo said immediately, pivoting on his heel. "I'm out."
He reached for the handle, but the heavy wooden door slammed shut on its own with a resounding thud. The latch clicked firmly into place without a hand touching it.
Leo froze. He stared at the wood for a long moment before turning around slowly. "…Okay," he said, his voice an octave higher. "That's a new trick."
Felix waved cheerfully from atop a crate of scrap metal. "Hi again! Love the workshop. Very… rustic."
Leo spun around, his finger trembling as he pointed at him. "YOU."
Kai stood near the back wall, his arms crossed over his chest, looking like a statue of judgment. "Sit down, Leo."
Leo laughed—a sharp, hysterical sound. "Oh, I see. This isn't a play. This is a kidnapping. I'm being kidnapped by dramatic lunatics in coordinated outfits."
Ember stepped forward, a spark of irritation flickering in her eyes. "If you scream, I will regretfully have to knock you unconscious."
Melissa shot her a sharp look of disapproval. "Ember, that is not helping."
Leo backed away until his heels hit a wooden stool. "You're insane. All of you. I don't have any money, and I definitely don't have whatever it is you're looking for."
As if responding to his thoughts, the chair behind him scraped forward across the floor on its own and bumped firmly into the back of his knees. Leo yelped and dropped into it. "HEY—!"
Felix clapped his hands. "Seating achieved. Efficiency is key."
"Leo," Kai spoke next, his voice steady and controlled, ignoring the boy's panic. "You are not ordinary."
"Wrong already," Leo snapped, clutching the sides of the chair. "I'm very ordinary. I'm the king of ordinary. Try again."
Melissa stepped forward, her presence soft and grounding. "Please, Leo. Just listen. We aren't here to hurt you."
Something about her voice—the lack of mockery—made Leo stay. He gripped the seat, his knuckles white.
Ember crossed her arms. "You have a star-shaped birthmark on your wrist."
The blood drained from Leo's face. His heart skipped a beat. "…How do you know that?"
Felix leaned forward, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "Because that mark makes you the most important person in two worlds. Congratulations."
"That is not comforting!" Leo shouted.
"There are realms beyond this one," Kai explained, stepping into the light. "The Second Realm, where we come from. And the Heavenly Realm, where you belong. The King is dying, Leo. The throne is empty."
Leo laughed again, louder this time. "Ah. There it is. The 'Chosen One' speech. Do I get a magic sword now? Or do I just go back to fixing horseshoes?"
Felix sighed, looking at Kai. "Told you we lost him."
Ember didn't say a word. She simply snapped her fingers. A small, perfect flame flickered to life above her palm—unattached to a wick, dancing in the air, unmistakably real.
Leo's eyes went wide. "…How did you do that? Where's the fuel?"
Melissa didn't answer with words. She pressed her palm to the workshop floor. The stone beneath Leo's feet rippled like water, a gentle wave of earth that made his heart lurch.
Leo shot up so fast the chair fell backward. "WHAT IS HAPPENING? Is the building collapsing?!"
"We're from the Second Realm," Felix said quickly, his words tumbling out. "Magic is real. You're the Heir to the Heavenly Realm. And that thing that tried to eat you last night? That was real too."
Leo shook his head violently. "No. No, no, no. I don't do destiny. I barely do rent. I'm a blacksmith's apprentice, not a King!"
"You were attacked," Kai reminded him, his voice like iron.
"I was scared!" Leo shot back. "That doesn't mean—"
The air in the room suddenly shifted. The pressure dropped. For a fleeting second, the star on Leo's wrist burned with a blinding, white light. He gasped, clutching his arm as the heat seared through his sleeve.
Melissa's eyes widened. "It's responding to the mention of the King."
Leo's breathing turned ragged. "Make it stop. Please, just make it stop!"
Felix moved without thinking, dropping to his knees in front of Leo. "Hey. Look at me. Don't look at the mark. Breathe with me. In... and out."
Leo stared into Felix's eyes, following the rhythm until the glow faded into a dull throb. Silence fell over the workshop, broken only by the sound of Leo's heavy breathing.
"You don't have to believe us yet," Melissa said quietly. "But you are in danger. That shadow last night? It was just the beginning."
Leo laughed weakly, wiping sweat from his forehead. "You say that like it's supposed to make me feel better."
Kai straightened his posture. "You will come with us. We will protect you until you can claim your power."
Leo looked at all four of them—at Ember's dying flame, Felix's strange gentleness, Melissa's steady earth, and Kai's impossible seriousness. He looked at his workshop, his tools, his simple life.
"…You people are insane," he whispered. Then, after a long, painful pause, he added shakily, "But... the insane ones did save me last night. I guess I owe you that much."
Felix beamed. "Progress!"
Ember muttered, "Barely."
Leo sank back into the uprighted chair, rubbing his face with his hands. "Okay. Okay. Let's say—hypothetically—this is real. And I'm some kind of... space prince."
Kai nodded. "It is real."
Leo looked up, his eyes sharp despite the fear. "…Then you're doing a terrible job explaining it. You're all acting like I'm supposed to just know how to be a King."
For the first time since entering the Mortal World, all four leaders shared the same thought. They were used to giving commands and being obeyed instantly; they had no idea how to actually talk to someone who didn't care about their titles.