King's Friend

Morning light streamed through the cracks of Morvane's window, but he wasn't awake yet. Deep in sleep, he was suddenly startled by loud knocks on his door and the familiar voices of his friends.

"Morvane! Wake up!" Luna's cheerful voice called.

"Come on, sleepyhead!" Esmael added with an impatient tone.

Groaning, Morvane sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What is it? Why are you two here so early?"

As soon as he opened the door, Luna grinned. "Don't tell me you forgot. The festival at the town proper is today!"

"The festival?" Morvane asked, yawning.

"Yes! There'll be games, food, and all sorts of fun stuff! Come on, we're all going," Esmael urged, clearly excited.

At first, Morvane hesitated, scratching the back of his head. "I don't know… I'm not really in the mood to go anywhere today."

But Luna wasn't taking no for an answer. She crossed her arms and gave him a determined look. "Morvane, you need to get out and have some fun. You've been through a lot lately. Besides, we're not going without you."

Esmael chimed in, "Yeah, come on. It'll be good for you."

After a bit of convincing, Morvane finally sighed and gave in. "Fine, fine. Let me get ready."

Before they left, Morvane's grandmother prepared a hearty breakfast for the three of them. The table was filled with fresh bread, fruits, and a pot of warm soup.

"You kids enjoy yourselves today," she said with a smile as she set down the last plate.

The trio ate together, chatting about what they might see and do at the festival. Luna was excited to try the games, Esmael was looking forward to the food, and Morvane, though still unsure about going, found himself smiling at their enthusiasm.

After breakfast, they thanked Morvane's grandmother and got ready to leave. As they walked out the door, she waved happily at them.

"Have fun, and don't get into too much trouble!" she called after them.

"We won't!" Luna replied with a laugh.

The three friends set off toward the town proper.

The day went by in a blur of laughter, games, and delicious food. Morvane, Luna, and Esmael enjoyed every moment of the festival. They participated in everything, from throwing rings at targets to racing each other in the streets. The atmosphere was lively, and for a while, it felt like all their worries could be forgotten.

However, as they sat under a tree to rest, Esmael suddenly brought up a more serious topic.

"You know," he said, looking at Morvane, "I've been thinking. I really need to be more responsible with my power. Yesterday… the fire in my house… It just feels like too much power for me to handle sometimes."

Morvane, who had been quietly watching the festival go on around them, stiffened slightly at the mention of powers. His expression faltered, and he turned his gaze away, feeling an uncomfortable knot in his stomach. He wasn't sure why, but hearing Esmael talk about his power like that hit a little too close to home. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Luna, noticing his discomfort, quickly tried to brush it off. "Hey, we're just talking about it, Morvane," she said with a reassuring smile, but Morvane simply forced a grin and nodded.

Still, the question lingered in the air—why did he have no power?

After a few moments of silence, Luna turned to Morvane. "Are you okay, Morvane? I mean… with the whole no power thing?"

Morvane hesitated for a moment before responding, his tone tinged with bitterness, though he tried to sound lighthearted. "I'm still bitter about it… but what can I do about it? It's not like I can change anything."

Luna bit her lip, a spark of an idea lighting up her eyes. "What if we… what if we went to King Medas?"

Morvane raised an eyebrow, confused. "King Medas? What would he do?"

Esmael looked at Luna with a raised brow. "Wait, you want to go to the king? After what happened at the ceremony? I saw everyone's face when they saw you with no mark, even King Medas himself. It looked like he was shocked. Maybe it's the first time he's ever seen something like that. What do you think he'd do?"

Luna didn't seem deterred by Esmael's doubts. She nudged him playfully and said, "We should still try. Maybe he'll do the chant again for Morvane, or maybe we'll figure something out."

Morvane laughed nervously, cutting in before the conversation could continue. "Forget it, Luna. I'm fine. Really. Let's just enjoy the day." He flashed a smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

As soon as the words left his mouth, there was a sudden shift in the air. The atmosphere around them seemed to change, and they all felt it at once—a presence, one that seemed to make everything else feel insignificant.

When Morvane turned around, his eyes widened in shock. There, standing just a few feet away, was King Medas. He was dressed in commoners' clothing, trying to blend in, but it was unmistakable. The regal aura he carried could not be hidden, and the trio immediately recognized him.

King Medas smiled warmly at them, though there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. "It seems I've been spotted," he said, his voice calm and welcoming, yet commanding. "I enjoy a good festival as much as anyone else."

The trio stood frozen for a moment, not sure how to react. Luna was the first to recover, her excitement bubbling up. "Y-Your Majesty, we didn't expect to see you here!" she exclaimed.

Morvane, still shocked but now curious, took a step forward. "Your Majesty," he started, his voice unsure, "we were just talking about the ceremony… and my powers, or lack of them."

King Medas nodded, his eyes thoughtful. "Yes, I'm aware of your situation, Morvane. And I must admit, it is a mystery that has puzzled me as well. I've seen many awakenings, but never one like yours."

Esmael, still uncertain, looked at the king. "So… what do we do now? What happens to Morvane?"

King Medas paused for a moment before replying, "That, my friends, is something we will have to find out together. Perhaps the answer lies in your journey, Morvane."

The trio stood there in stunned silence, the weight of King Medas' words settling in. It was clear that they were not the only ones searching for answers. The king's unexpected presence seemed to mark the beginning of something much larger than they had anticipated.

King Medas leaned against a shelf in the royal library, his eyes focused on the trio before him. "Actually, I lied earlier," he began, his voice lowering slightly, as if preparing them for something important. "It's not the first time I've seen someone with no mark."

The trio froze in place, exchanging confused glances. Luna blinked, her curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?" she asked.

The king paused, his gaze faraway, as though lost in a memory. "In fact, there was someone very close to me who had no mark at all. Someone I cared for deeply."

The words hung in the air, heavy with significance. The trio was captivated, unable to look away from the king, waiting for him to reveal more.

To break the tense silence, King Medas smiled softly. "Come, let's move somewhere more comfortable. I'll tell you everything." He turned and led them through the palace halls, each step feeling more surreal than the last. Morvane, Luna, and Esmael could hardly believe their ears. The palace, the royal library, the king's personal invitation—everything felt like a dream. No commoner was allowed inside the palace, and yet, here they were, walking alongside the king.

When they reached the library, the king gestured for them to sit. The towering shelves filled with books of every size and color seemed almost alive with history, and the golden light that filtered through the large windows added a sense of warmth to the room.

"As I said, I had a friend who was like you, Morvane," King Medas began, his tone somber. "Everyone looked at her like she was a monster, as though she didn't belong in this world. They couldn't understand why someone with no mark would exist. It was cruel. People were unkind to her, and I, being her closest confidant, could do little to stop it. I felt deeply sorry for her."

The trio listened intently, feeling the weight of the king's words.

"But despite all of that," the king continued, a hint of admiration in his voice, "she never once let it show. She smiled, laughed, and carried on as though everything was fine. I thought perhaps she was okay, that she was just strong enough to endure it."

Luna, moved by the king's story, spoke up, her voice gentle. "Where is she now? What happened to her?"

Esmael, too, was curious. "Yeah, what was her name?"

The king's eyes softened, and he nodded toward a painting on the wall. It was a portrait of a beautiful woman with dark, flowing hair and a serene expression. The elegance of the painting made her seem almost timeless.

"That is her," King Medas said quietly. "Her name was Hiraya."

The trio stood in stunned silence, gazing at the painting of the woman in awe. Her beauty was undeniable, but it was the sadness in her eyes that spoke to them the most. She seemed both distant and yet filled with a quiet strength that was impossible to ignore.

"Who… was she really?" Morvane asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He couldn't help but wonder what had happened to this woman who had lived without a mark, and why her story had touched the king so deeply.

King Medas stood silent for a moment, lost in his thoughts before speaking again.

"Hiraya was special. She was different, and yet, in some ways, just like you. She lived without a mark, and for that, she was cast aside. But what they didn't know was that she held power within her that no one could comprehend. Power that surpassed anything they could imagine."

The trio exchanged glances, the mystery deepening with every word the king spoke. They were no longer just curious about Morvane's lack of a mark—they were beginning to realize that there was something much larger at play, something that had been hidden for a long time.

"Her power," King Medas continued, "was the key to something far greater than anyone could understand. But even though she had it, she never revealed it to the world. She chose to live a quiet life, free from the weight of expectations."

Luna, her eyes still fixed on the painting, asked softly, "But what happened to her? Why isn't she here now?"

The king's voice grew even more somber. "That's a story for another time, my friends. But know this: Hiraya's journey is far from over, and hers is a tale intertwined with the fate of many others. You, Morvane, may be walking a similar path."

The air in the room felt charged with the king's final words. The trio didn't fully understand yet, but one thing was clear—they were now part of something much bigger than they had ever imagined.