After a gruelling day of having to practice swordsmanship while studying countless subjects to prepare himself to be the next emperor, he was ready to unwind with time just dedicated to himself. Well, it was natural he would do so since the amount of pressure on him as a 12 year old was too much to bear.

Once he was done with the empire’s history, he immediately rushed out of the library and ignored each and every servants greeting as he found his way to the back garden of the palace.

He sighed as he went through the small hole that was hidden behind a few bushes before making his way deep into the forest—his special place.

After brushing away some branches and vines, he saw the garden he treasured and held dear to his heart—the garden of vita.

He smiled as he made his way through the lush greenery, the various flora and fauna that bloomed endlessly despite the weather. Taking a deep breath, the smell of fresh cut grass and nature hitting him back to reality.

He walked through the endless garden before his eyes settled on a figure lying against a tree from a distance—the centre of this garden. It was a breath taking site indeed. The boys hair swaying with the wind as his eyelashes fluttered softly. Zieth could swear his heart had the cliche ba-dump sound effect like in those sappy romance stories his mother would sometimes talk about.

He approached the figure slowly, not knowing what to do as this is his first time encountering someone else but him in this very same garden—his secret spot to rest.

Once he reached, he took a better look at the boy. He seemed to be around his age, maybe 12 years old—Zieth assumed. He looked delicate, almost like those porcelain dolls on sale in villages. Like an angel that fell straight from the sky and into this tranquil garden—all for Zieth to see and experience.

Zieth smiled softly as he sat in front of the boy—the tree acting as a shade above them, the centre of this mesmerising garden. He noticed there were some leafs on his hair as he gently brushed it away. What a mystery. Zieth thought to himself. Not only was this boy someone he never saw before but he was also ethereal.