A Premonition from Sixteen

I've felt it since I was sixteen. My mother has always worried about my body. No matter how much I told her I was fine, whether it was just a parent's heart or some circumstance she couldn't tell me about. And Lily seemed to know about that circumstance.

Why did I think that?

"..."

I lifted my head and gazed into the fog. Since no sounds reached me at all, this place was probably another world.

It didn't surprise me. My very existence was proof enough of another world.

The problem wasn't that...

"..."

Ride fate. What does that even mean?

"What does 'ride fate' mean?"

"So what is that fate you're talking about?"

What is fate in the first place? No, I think I know what fate is. Though I perceived it not as fate, but as something unpleasant.

"..."

I ignored the voice and kept walking. Now wasn't the time to listen to that.

Let's think about something else instead.

For starters, this situation happened when I tried connecting my mind to King Cassius. So then...

"..."

Let me think for a moment. In that case, what I need to do is...

I walked on endlessly. I had no idea why it was calling that my fate or whatever, but now wasn't the time to heed it. It was time to do something else.

Let's search.

I pushed through the fog, looking for King Cassius. Brainwashing... And recalling the devices Mother and Lily had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠placed on me...

"Got it."

Now I had some idea. I took a step forward. I didn't know the way, but hey, I'd just keep going.

I wandered through the endless fog like that. Perhaps this very ability to navigate the fog was what those two had given me.

With that thought, how long had I been pushing through the mist? Finally, something came into view.

I whipped my head around to look, and...

"..."

I found King Cassius staring blankly into the air.

"Please wake up."

"..."

"Hey."

"..."

He had no intention of listening. No helping it.

I raised my hand and slapped his cheek.

Smack! With that sound, King Cassius jolted upright.

"H-Huh...!"

Only then did he open his eyes with a loud gasp.

"Feeling better?"

"...Y-You are...?"

"Do you not remember? I'm Theodor Castina..."

"I-I remember. But..."

He muttered, clutching his head.

"...My memories are hazy. Like something from a dream."

"I see."

I couldn't know the exact feeling, but I understood what he meant. Probably because Duke Mayor had gotten to him.

"Follow me for now."

"Follow you? Where to...?"

He looked around, then turned to me.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Isn't this place shrouded in darkness?"

"..."

I see. To King Cassius, this place looked like darkness.

"No. This isn't darkness—it's probably inside your consciousness."

"My consciousness?"

"Yes."

"...I-Is that so..."

He muttered skeptically but, thankfully, said nothing more. He seemed to grasp how dire his situation was, at least somewhat.

"Then, I'll guide you."

"Do you know the exit?"

"No?"

He looked bewildered at my answer but followed me calmly anyway.

"...When we get back, I'll apologize sincerely."

"Pardon?"

And as we kept walking, he suddenly spoke up.

"No matter how I think about it, the empire's prince coming here to rescue me... it just doesn't make sense."

"..."

"Either an unimaginable diplomatic disaster has occurred, or it's all planned, but either way, I already know my days ahead will be incredibly tough."

He raised his hand, muttering bitterly.

"So I'll thank you properly later."

"You can do it now."

"If I say it where only you can hear, in an empty place... wouldn't that just be deceiving you?"

He replied calmly to my words, turning his gaze away.

"Thanks should be given sincerely, with heart. That's the least courtesy I can offer you."

"..."

"Of course, I'll provide fitting compensation too. Assuming the empire wasn't behind this—"

"Duke Mayor did it."

"Once we're back, I need to smash Duke Mayor."

He muttered, and I couldn't help but smirk at his words.

"Oh."

"What is it?"

A brightly swirling space appeared before us. Even a fool could tell it was the exit, spinning so vividly.

"Wh-What!"

But apparently, King Cassius couldn't see it. Watching him...

"...Jeez."

What could I say? A hollow laugh escaped me uncontrollably.

He seemed loved by the world, bathed in so much light. And being under such light meant casting an even longer shadow.

I couldn't even imagine how massive the scandal would be if something happened.

But that was that, and this was this.

I slowly raised my hand to the vortex—

Whoosh!

With a pulling sensation, my body was sucked upward, and

"Father!"

Tina's scream-like voice snapped me from my thoughts.

I looked up hurriedly, and

"Father!!"

Tina was clutching the fallen King Cassius, shouting.

"Wake up, Father! It's me! Tina!"

"..."

"Father!"

"..."

But King Cassius, eyes closed, only groaned as if he couldn't hear.

"Fatherrrr!"

Tina wailed, hugging him tightly. Meanwhile, Clue and Lucy came running over to me.

"Are you okay?"

"How much time passed?"

"One minute...?"

If it was just a minute, then yeah, it really happened in the blink of an ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠eye.

"No special incidents occurred?"

"Special...?"

Clue tilted her head at my question, and Lucy shook hers.

"Nothing special happened."

"I see."

I said, looking at King Cassius. Isfil was using her power to hold it off, but...

"Please snap out of it."

I whispered to him, and before he could respond,

"Wake up!"

"Guh!"

Tina punched him right in the solar plexus, and with a thud, King Cassius sprang up.

"Wh-What...!"

"Wake up!"

At Tina's shout, he looked around in bewilderment, his eyes meeting mine.

Then, as if recalling everything, he jumped to his feet and scanned the surroundings.

"Withdraw the soldiers! Hurry!"

Only then did peace return.

*

"...If it weren't for you, it really would've been a disaster."

King Cassius muttered from his throne.

Once he regained his senses, things progressed swiftly. Duke Mayor was arrested on the spot, Tina was freed, and we received utmost hospitality.

Mother somehow got word and came flying in, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my desperate defense sent her back. Though her glare at Tina on the way out scared me plenty too.

Anyway.

"...I'm truly grateful."

King Cassius muttered, looking at me.

"I don't know how to repay this favor."

I wasn't asking for anything in particular. I was here on inspection anyway.

As I thought that and moved to reply,

"...What if I marry into the family?"

Tina suddenly spoke up, drawing all eyes to her.

"Tina?"

"...Tina?"

My voice and King Cassius's overlapped, and at our words, she cleared her throat and continued.

"No, I mean. Well. Prince Theodor and I get along so well..."

"That's not it."

We ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠agreed to fake it.

I looked at her, thinking that, and she cleared her throat again.

"I was wondering what you'd think...!"

"..."

I hadn't expected this.

Unable to hide my bewilderment as I stared at her,

"...Sounds like a good idea."

"Pardon?"

King Cassius nodded too.

"Of course, not just that—we'll send even more gold as tribute than usual."

He continued with a cough, and I looked at Tina in bewilderment.

"Well, that's not for me to decide..."

Calming King Cassius and Tina took a lifetime, and in the end, on the condition that Tina visit our imperial palace occasionally as a "gesture of diplomatic friendship" every six months, we returned—with me bringing back an overwhelmingly larger share of tribute than my siblings.

"As expected of Theo!"

"...I believed in you, Theo."

Rabir and Lily praised me, and Mother looked at me too.

"Theo, how about taking on the foreign minister role too?"

"..."

And so, another tumultuous inspection ended, and I turned sixteen.