Kiraihhh

In a world where loyalty is a fragile illusion and power corrupts even the noblest of hearts, a fallen knight awakens in the body of the very prince whose kingdom he helped destroy.

Caelan, a commoner-turned-knight, devoted his life to the kingdom of Elaris—until betrayal by the man he loved, Khalid Caelum, shattered it all. Stabbed and left to die, Caelan reincarnates as Flynn Winterbell, the estranged crown prince of a rival nation. Haunted by his past life, Flynn must now navigate court politics, half-brothers with hidden motives, and the dangerous game of power—all while the man who betrayed him, now a duke, reappears at his side.

But the embers of love refuse to die. As Flynn grapples with his lingering feelings and a truth buried beneath crowns and lies, a greater threat looms—one that ties kingdoms, memories, and destiny together.

Can Flynn uncover the secrets of his death and forge a new path, or will history repeat itself?

Beneath the crown

The ballroom shimmered beneath the glow of golden chandeliers. Gilded walls echoed with the hum of strings and laughter, and nobles of Winterbell Kingdom moved like drifting embers, warm and fleeting.

Crown Prince Flynn Winterbell stood still amid it all, a glass of wine untouched in his hand.

He wasn't truly present. His eyes silver like mist before dawn were fixed on the figure across the chamber. A man draped in deep crimson and black velvet, surrounded by laughter, yet curiously apart from it.

Respected. Elegant. A symbol of loyalty to Winterbell.

But to Flynn, he was something far more sinister.

A ghost wearing the face of a traitor.

Memories he never asked to keep haunted him. Another life. Another name.

He remembered kneeling before his king in the Kingdom of Elaris, sword in hand, oath in heart. He remembered Khalid's smile in the candlelight faint, earnest before that same man plunged a blade between his ribs.

Flynn's grip on his wineglass tightened.

"I'd ask what you're brooding over, but I have a suspicion it's him," a voice murmured beside him.

Elior Venstra, dressed in sleek gray with a silver chain at his collar, wore a smirk that didn't reach his eyes. He leaned in closer, the scent of parchment and ink trailing him.

"He's charming, I'll admit," Elior said, his tone casual. "But I've never trusted the way he watches you."

Flynn didn't look away from Khalid. "What do you mean?"

Elior tilted his head. "He watches you like he's waiting for something. Or someone."

Flynn forced a breath, steadying the storm in his chest. "Maybe he's simply wary. I am the crown prince, after all."

"Or maybe," Elior mused, "you remind him of someone."

Flynn flinched too subtly for anyone but Elior to notice.

Flynn quickly masked the slip with a sip of wine. "We've barely spoken."

"Strange, considering he's served this kingdom for over a year now. You'd think he'd try to win your favor, like the rest." Elior glanced sideways. "But instead, he just... watches."

Because he knew why Khalid watched him.

Because somewhere deep down, something in Khalid must have remembered Caelan too. Even if he couldn't name it. Even if he didn't know the soul he'd betrayed now wore the crown of a rival kingdom.

The music shifted into a slower waltz, and Khalid's eyes wandered across the room again.

Flynn offered a nod a princely, neutral expression.

Khalid held his gaze for half a heartbeat too long. Then, with the faintest of smiles, he turned away.

He was alone with a truth no one could know.

And his killer stood just a breath away.

Echoes Behind the Eyes