Chapter 9: The Green Eyed Boy

The night was quiet, the only sound the faint rustle of leaves outside the windows of the Crown Prince's chambers.

The moonlight spilled into the room, casting long shadows on the floor, and Izan tossed and turned in his sleep, his brow furrowed in the grip of a dream that pulled him back to a time he had never forgotten, a memory so vivid it felt like it was happening all over again.

He was eight years old, running for his life through a dense forest. The branches clawed at his skin, the underbrush snagged at his clothes, and fear drove him onward, his heart pounding in his chest. The assassins had struck without warning, targeting the small group as they made their way to his mother's burial ground. His guards had fought bravely, shouting for him to run, to escape while they held the attackers at bay.

And so he had run, His small feet stumbled over roots and rocks, and tears blurred his vision as he pushed deeper into the forest.

The world around him seemed to close in, the trees towering above him, their shadows growing darker, more menacing.

He stumbled through the trees, tears blurring his vision, a figure suddenly appeared ahead of him. A boy, no more than four years old, stood in a small clearing, his emerald-green eyes wide with concern. The boy's beauty struck Izan, even in his panic, a delicate, ethereal face framed by brown curls, and eyes that seemed to see straight into his soul.

The boy stepped forward, extending a small, dirt-streaked hand. His voice soft and reassuring. "Come with me," he said, his small hand reaching out to Izan. "I know a place where we can hide."

Izan hesitated for only a moment before taking the boy's hand, his fingers trembling as they intertwined with the boy's smaller ones. The boy's touch was warm, comforting, and it anchored Izan in a way that nothing else could. They moved quickly through the forest, the boy leading him with surprising confidence, despite his young age. It was as if the forest itself bent to the boy's will, clearing a path for them.

After what felt like an eternity of running, they reached the entrance of a cave, hidden behind thick vines and tall ferns. The boy pulled him inside, where the air was cool and the darkness felt like a protective embrace.

"This is my safe place," the boy whispered, guiding Izan to sit on a patch of soft moss. "No one can find us here. I come here when I'm scared or when I need to be alone. I'm a servant, and I pick herbs in the forest, but this is where I hide."

Inside the cave, the air was cool and damp, and the darkness was comforting, like a protective cloak. Izan sank to the ground, his legs finally giving way as the adrenaline began to fade.

The cave was quiet, save for the distant sounds of the forest outside. The boy sat beside him, their shoulders brushing, and for the first time since the attack, Izan felt a flicker of hope.

But then, as the silence settled around them, Izan's stomach growled loudly, breaking the stillness. The boy looked at him with a small smile, his green eyes sparkling with amusement. "You're hungry," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Wait here, I'll go find us something to eat. I won't be long. "

"No, don't go!" Izan blurted out, his hand shooting out to grab the boy's arm. He didn't want to be left alone, not after everything that had happened. The thought of the boy leaving him, even for a moment, filled him with dread.

The boy paused, looking down at where Izan's hand clutched his arm. Then, with a soft smile, he reached up to the necklace he wore, a pendant shaped like a heart, hanging on a thin silver chain. He took it off and, with a quick twist, separated the pendant into two halves. He handed one half to Izan, placing it gently in his palm.

Izan accept it with trembling hands.

"This was my mother's," the boy said quietly, his voice tinged with something akin to sadness. "It's a protective charm. As long as you have this, nothing bad will happen to you. I'll be back soon, I promise."

Izan stared at the half-heart pendant in his hand, its smooth surface cool against his skin, its weight solid and reassuring in his palm.

The boy's words wrapped around him like a blanket, soothing his fears. He nodded, clutching the pendant tightly, his fear easing slightly as he accepted the boy's promise.

The boy squeezed his hand one last time before slipping away into the forest, leaving Izan alone in the cave. As he sat there, clutching the pendant to his chest, the minutes seemed to stretch on forever. Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig outside made his heart race, but he forced himself to stay calm. The boy would come back. He had to.

But before the boy could return, voices echoed through the cave, familiar voices. Izan's guards had found him, their relief palpable as they rushed in and gathered him up. They were speaking to him, reassuring him that he was safe now, that the assassins had been driven off, but Izan barely heard them.

"No, wait!" Izan struggled against the guards' hold, his eyes darting to the cave's entrance. "I have to wait for him! The boy, he promised to come back!"

One of the guards lifted him into his arms, his grip firm as he carried Izan toward the cave's exit. "We have to leave, Your Highness," the guard said, his voice gentle but insistent. "We need to get you to safety."

But Izan couldn't stop struggling, couldn't stop looking back over the guard's shoulder as they left the cave. "Please, I need to know his name!" he cried, his voice breaking with desperation. "He saved me, please!"

But the guards didn't stop. The forest blurred around him as they hurried back toward the palace, Izan's cries fading into the night. The only thing he had left of the boy was the half-heart pendant, clutched tightly in his fist, its edges pressing into his palm as if trying to anchor him to the memory.

Just as they broke through the forest edge, Izan woke with a start. His heart was pounding, his chest tight with a mixture of longing and sorrow. He sat up in bed, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he reached for the pendant that still hung around his neck, a relic of a boy he had never forgotten.

"I'll find you," he whispered into the darkness of his chambers, his voice barely audible over the sound of his racing heart. "I'll find you, no matter what"