You rush through the shadows, heart pounding as you clutch the pouch of jewelry to your chest, the guards' cries of outrage echoing behind you. The thunder of their footsteps reverberates in the night, growing louder with each passing second.

"Aim! Fire!"

Eyes wide, you gasp in horror as arrows whistle through the air. You push yourself faster, adrenaline coursing through your veins, narrowly avoiding their deadly shafts. But one finds its mark, embedding itself into your leg with a searing pain. You scream, staggering, your vision blurring as you tumble from the roof. A bush cushions your fall, but the agony overwhelms you, and your consciousness begins to fade.

And everything goes black.

.

"Kai!"

There’s a pounding at his door. Prince Kai rises smoothly, irritation flickering in his eyes as he opens it, his expression shifting to annoyance as he takes in the sight of his soldiers.

"General," he says coldly, but the soldiers shove past him, their heavy boots thudding against the floor, the atmosphere thick with urgency.

"Spread out!" the general barks. "Find the thief."

"General!" One soldier calls, pointing to the indent in the bush outside and the blood trail that leads over the fence and into the forest. The urgency crackles in the air as they leave just as quickly as they arrived, the door slamming shut behind them.

Kai waits, listening to their receding footsteps, tension tightening around him. Once silence returns, he strides to his music room, his heart racing with an unsettling mixture of concern and curiosity. Pulling back the sheets, he reveals you, barely conscious, your breath coming in ragged gasps, each inhale a struggle.

"Shh," he whispers, his hand gently brushing against your clammy face, the warmth of his palm a stark contrast to your cold skin. “The arrow was poisoned. Let me clean it.”

His voice, low and soothing, cuts through the haze of pain, a beacon of comfort amidst your suffering.