The room was filled with a strange silence.
The soft glow of the oil lamp flickered on the walls, and outside, the sound of crickets made the night feel even deeper.
The moon was hidden somewhere out of sight.
Sunny was fixing the bedding spread on the floor when Enya's voice sounded again—
"I asked you… will you sleep down there?"
Sunny lifted his head and looked at her.
There was no fear in his eyes, but something else—
hesitation, confusion… and perhaps trust.
"If it makes you uncomfortable," Sunny said,
"I can even sleep outside."
Hearing this, a faint crease appeared on Enya's forehead.
She picked up a pillow and suddenly threw it at Sunny.
"Don't be that innocent!"
Sunny panicked.
"H–Hey! What are you doing?!"
Enya picked up another pillow.
"Are you going to fight, or are you going to run?"
Now Sunny smiled too.
He picked up a pillow as well—
and the pillow fight began.
The room filled with laughter.
Pillows flew here and there; sometimes Enya won, sometimes Sunny did.
Then came a moment when Sunny lost his balance and fell straight onto the bed.
Enya, still laughing, leaned over him.
And then—
the laughter stopped.
Their faces were extremely close.
Their breaths brushed against each other.
Enya's eyes, without realizing it, settled on Sunny's lips.
Sunny whispered,
"Enya…"
The words remained unfinished.
The very next moment—
a soft, unspoken kiss.
No promises.
No words—
just a moment that felt complete on its own.
Feeling the tenderness of it, Enya immediately pulled back.
Her face had turned red.
"We… we should sleep," she said softly.
Sunny nodded.
"Yes… we should sleep."
Both of them lay down on the same bed—
with a little distance between their bodies,
but no distance left between their hearts.
In another part of the room,
beyond a closed door—
Riyan sat in deep meditation.
Eyes closed, breaths steady.
Waves of spiritual energy moved around him.
But for the first time—
even in his meditation, one face kept appearing again and again.
Queen Elara.
Riyan opened his eyes.
"This path… will not be easy," he said to himself.
Outside, the night had grown even deeper.
And within this night—
three different hearts were fighting three different battles.
Some with swords.
Some with emotions.
Just then, the memory of Riyan's mother surfaced in his mind.
Her face… her voice… the injustice she had suffered.
A faint anger rose inside him. His jaw tightened.
"I will not leave the criminal," he thought coldly.
In his heart, he already considered Queen Elara's father to be responsible.
---
Morning arrived.
Sunlight slipped quietly into the house, but Sunny did not wake up.
Riyan waited for a while, then went to wake him himself.
He opened the door. And froze.
Sunny and Enya were sleeping on the same bed. For a moment, Riyan stood there in shock.
He said nothing.
Just then, because of the door opening and Riyan calling Sunny's name, both Sunny and Enya woke up at the same time.
They looked at each other—
and then quickly sat up.
Riyan turned his face away casually and said as if nothing had happened,
"Come on. Get ready."
"Today we'll get our uniforms," he added,
"and we'll also be told what work we'll be doing in the army."
Sunny nodded quickly, still half-asleep and embarrassed. Enya quietly fixed her hair, her face slightly red.
A new day had begun—
bringing new duties, new paths…
and new complications none of them were ready for yet.
Both of them were walking side by side on the road.
Their destination was the palace.
The soft morning sunlight was spread across the path.
A mischievous smile was on Riyan's face.
Riyan laughed and said,
"Oh oh… so sir, you turned out to be a very well-hidden warrior!"
Sunny was startled.
"W-what?"
Riyan winked at him and said,
"Oh, that… last night's scene. Sleeping on the same bed, and now you're acting like nothing happened."
Sunny's face turned red. He looked away and said,
"N-nothing happened, okay?"
Riyan burst out laughing.
"Wow! Feeling shy even with a friend? Come on, tell me openly.
From the beginning—" he paused on purpose,
"—the start, the climax… and the end."
Sunny felt embarrassed.
"You're impossible, Riyan… talking nonsense again."
Riyan nudged him with his elbow.
"Nonsense? The night didn't look useless to me. Tell me."
Sunny quickly shook his head in denial.
"N-no! It was just… a pillow fight."
"Oh?" Riyan raised his eyebrows.
"And then?"
Sunny took a deep breath, as if giving up.
"Nothing else. Just… laughing and joking. Then… we fell asleep."
Riyan smiled, his voice softer this time.
"Alright, alright. I won't pressure you anymore."
Then he added quietly,
"Just remember—I'm your friend, not a spy."
Sunny let out a relieved breath and smiled slightly.
"That's exactly why."
They continued walking forward.
Ahead, the army palace came into view—
a place where uniforms, orders, and responsibilities were waiting for them.
But as they got closer, Queen Elara was standing there—
as if she had been waiting only for Riyan.