It was finally the day of his coronation.

Gilbert had thoughts of running away numerous times, but in those times, the prince can't help but be reminded of his people. He looked at all the people who came to witness his rise to the throne, proud and delighted for him but sad that they had to lose a good king, and Gilbert hated himself for even thinking of running.

What would happen to them if he left? It would have made everything worse.

He is only giving the enemy what they wanted without putting up a fight. If he'll go down, he'll go down knowing he fought for his people. He won't bring shame to his family, and he will most certainly avenge them.

With a smile that would've fooled Gilbert if he hadn't known, Sero delicately carried in his arms the crown that was previously worn by his father. Gilbert's instincts kicked in, and he opened his mouth to voice out a warning to his people.

However, the Evil Lord's underlings seemed to have been quicker, for before he could utter a single word, a sword was already coming its way to stab his vulnerable back.

"A sword aimed towards the prince!"

A voice cut through the silence that blanketed the whole room, saving Gilbert from his death. The man supposed to murder the prince turned out to be his father's personal cook, his name unknown to Gilbert for he never cared unless they're relevant.

"Protect the prince!"

And everything became a blur.

Gilbert could only hear shouts while he was dragged away by his most loyal knight and friend, Junho. The said knight forcefully pulled the prince close to him to whisper a warning.

"They won't stop unless they kill you. You need to escape," Junho breathed into his ear.

Looking back, Gilbert saw his pursuers—people whom he thought were loyal to the royal family—closing in on them, their swords unsheathed. Both nobles and commoners let out shrieks of horror and fled the scene in terror, resulting in a stampede.

Junho took him to a secret passageway leading to the palace's sacred temple. It was their sanctuary when they were kids, and now it seemed like it won't be anymore.

Gilbert wanted to ask his friend what his plan was, but Junho beat him to it. "Mother is waiting on the other side, we will assist in your escape."

"But my people—"

"--Will all be dead if you don't live." Junho abruptly stopped and turned to face Wyvern's next king and continued, "You need to defeat darkness and restore the crumbling peace. As the future ruler of the united lands, it is your destiny."

Junho resumed leading Gilbert towards the sacred temple where his mother waited. The prince succumbed to silence despite the chaos arising, feeling confused and distraught.

Gilbert only snapped out of his daze the moment a streak of bright light blinded his vision. The way out, the prince thought as he followed Junho in the very familiar path. As they caught sight of the familiar paintings on the ceilings of the seven gods—believed to have blessed mortals with a power that protects them from darkness—a woman of old age hurried towards them.

"Aunt, what is your plan?" But the woman only hushed him whilst taking his arm as she led him towards a certain spot behind the huge statue of one of the gods, the god of light.

"There is a secret passage leading outside of the castle walls here. You will come close to the borders dividing Wyvern and Sunny Drop Queendom," she said, but Gilbert still had so many questions to ask her and Junho.

"Have you realized that there was an enemy inside the palace walls? Since when? What are they planning to do?" Gilbert bombarded, and the woman was patient enough to give him the answers that he wanted.

"I'm terribly sorry I could not help your mother and father. They will put my son into harm's way, and so we were forced into silence," she replied, voice hoarse.

Gilbert bit back his response, afraid that he might accidentally call the woman selfish when she was only scared to lose her sole son. The prince, instead, chose to remain in angry silence.

Scanning for any signs of emotion from the prince, the woman continued to speak, "I planned to tell your father, but they knew. I was bound to keep what I knew in silence if I wanted my son to live." She gripped onto Junho's arm as if she was remembering what went down that day. Junho reassured his mother with a loose hug and then turned to Gilbert with a look that seemed close to guilt.

Gilbert wanted to be angry. They only watched as his family got killed, but a part of him blamed himself for being so powerless to protect both his best friend and his parents.

"Gil," Junho called, and Gilbert softened at the nickname. His friend usually called him that when it was only just the two of them, away from the prying eyes of nobles and commoners, away from expectations and royalty.

"Remember the book we used to read when we were kids, Gil?"

"...The history of the united lands?" Gilbert hesitated, but Junho nodded in confirmation.

"The sword and the seven crystals that used to protect our lands, the same weapon used by previous kings to protect us had been stolen long ago before your father became king." Gilbert wasn't sure that he heard Junho right. The battle between light and dark had long been finished, and it was said that the sword is no longer needed.

"The sword should've stayed, not ever leaving the king's side. The king before your father and the king before that, and then the king before that," the woman abruptly stopped with a sigh.

"It seems like I've lost track of which king lost the sword, but they lost it, and now the Lord of the dead is rising from his deep slumber," she continued.

The Evil Lord probably sensed the weakening and the division of the united lands the moment the sword was lost. All this time, Gilbert wondered why Sero forbade him to go outside the castle walls. Now he had a good idea why, and he was afraid of what he might see.

"So you're saying...that I reclaim this sword and be a hero?" much was yet to be answered, but the trio knew they had no time left to spare.

"We will assist in your escape, this is our chance, and I'm sorry if this is all we could do to atone for our sins."

Junho, for the first time today, showed a lopsided smirk. It was a look Gilbert knew all too well, it was a look that meant he was about to do something stupid.

"What are you planning this time?" Gilbert demanded, but Junho only laughed as he pulled his best friend for a hug.

"This will probably be the last time we get to hug like brothers, so you better survive and reclaim the throne, yeah?" Junho breathed out, his voice shaky with the effort to stop the tears from overflowing. Gilbert gripped tighter onto his friend, seemingly not wanting to let go. Gilbert could hear the pain laced in his friend's voice, and it was breaking him on the inside. Gilbert really can't get angry at them.

Junho then broke the hug and gave Gilbert a small bag from his mother. It contained supplies that may last the prince for a few days. Before Gilbert could ask what he meant, Junho was already making a move to help his mother open the secret passageway.

"Go," Junho ordered. Gilbert only stared in confusion and asked, "What about my pursuers?"

"I'll pretend to be you and lead them away from here," Junho said and then looked at her mother to give her a reassuring smile. His mother only remained silent as she stared at his son, her lips in a frown, and her brows meeting. It was as if this was a topic they already discussed a hundred times and with it always ending with her rejecting the idea.

"You're crazy, they might kill you!" Gilbert protested, but Junho was determined to help his best friend.

Junho grinned, "I may be selfish, but promise me you will be king."

Gilbert bit his bottom lip as he tried to not think of the fate his friend might face, but the image of a dead Junho and his mother filled Gilbert's head. Before he knew it, hot tears spilled onto his paling cheeks.

"You better be there when I'm crowned king, dumbass."

They heard shouting nearby, and they all knew it was time. With a smile Gilbert didn't know would probably be the last, Junho shut the passageway.

Gilbert was now completely alone with a cruel destiny that is needed to be fulfilled.