The chance

For ten agonizing years, the heavy oak doors of the royal chambers remained shut. Following the funeral of his beloved queen—the kingdom’s ultimate jewel—King Alexander Ralph vanished from the world. Harrison took the burden of the regency for a single month. But the fragile peace shattered when a sudden, forced absence to meet a foreign duke and duchess left the palace unguarded. Left to his isolation, King Alexander finally took his own life. It was no shock to Harrison. He knew the King’s soul had died a decade prior. Yet, one haunting question plagued Harrison and the entire kingdom: Why did the King not die on the very day of her funeral? What forbidden anchor kept him tied to the living world? Was it a grief so twisted he believed death was a curse, fearing he could never make her happy in the afterlife due to their final, tragic misunderstanding? Or was he escaping a truth no living soul would ever know? Now, the secret was buried in the dirt.

Deep within the cosmic expanse of the heavens, two souls drifted. One soul circled desperately, yearning to entwine, to heal, to meet. The other soul lay completely stagnant, frozen in an eternal, non-reactive slumber of guilt. Thud. Suddenly, she pulled away from the celestial slipstream. Her eyes snapped open." Where am I?" she whispered. Noise bombarded her senses. She was surrounded by the chaotic shouting of street vendors and market crowds. Her eyes instinctively focused on a cart of bright, ripe fruits. Looking down, a shock of adrenaline hit her. Her body was tiny. She was a child again. A new life, she realized, her heart pounding. New, but completely different." Hey, thief! Where do you think you're going?" She spun around to find a heavy-armored palace guard towering over her." Thief? Me?" she gasped, backing away. "I think you are mistaken, Sir. I haven't stolen a thing.""Oh!, yeah? Then what is jingling in your pocket?" She reached down, her small fingers brushing against cold metal. She pulled them out—a handful of glittering royal gold coins." This... this isn't mine!"" Thief!" the guard roared. Before he could grab her, her instincts took over. She raised her small hand, slapped the guard squarely across the face, and bolted into the crowd.

She ran for a mile, her small lungs burning, until her foot caught the sharp edge of a rock. With a sharp cry, she crashed heavily onto the cobblestones.

"Are you okay?"

A hand extended toward her. She scrambled to her feet, brushing off the dirt, and looked up at the boy standing before her. A violent wave of familiarity crashed over her. It felt as though they had met before—not just in this city, but across a thousand different universes.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" she breathed.

The boy froze, stunned. His eyes widened with a profound, agonizing recognition. He hesitated, his voice trembling as he spoke. "I don't think... you have to know me anymore."

She frowned, stepping back. "What? What does that even mean?"

"Nothing," he said quickly, looking away to hide his shaking hands. "I just assumed... well, are you alright after that long run?"

She stared at him warily, her eyes narrowing. "I'm fine. Thank you for helping me."

The boy looked back at her, his gaze filled with an overwhelming, protective affection. Caught off guard by his intensity, she glared right back, causing him to quickly avert his eyes to the horizon.

She scanned him from top to bottom. "You are incredibly weird. And suspicious. It feels like you are the one who stole something."

Before he could answer, rough voices echoed down the alleyway. "Did you find that brat? Is she over here? Find that bastard child!"

Without a word, the boy grabbed her wrist. His grip was firm, surprisingly steady, as he yanked her into the deep shadows of a hidden alcove. For a moment, wrapped in the dark away from the shouting guards, she felt an impossible sensation. She was completely, entirely safe.

She pulled her hand back, glaring. "Who are you? Seriously. Do I know you, or do you know me?"

Fear and anxiety flickered across his young face, but it melted into a genuine, bittersweet smile. "No, I don't think so. But first, we have to resolve this little problem of yours."

She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "I don't need your help. I can take care of myself, kid."

The boy’s eyes danced with delight and adoration. "Who are you calling a kid? We are both eleven years old, and you're calling me a kid?"

"We'll see who the real kid is," she smirked, stepping past him. "The smugness on you is heavier than anyone I've ever met in my life."

His lips twitched into a teasing, familiar smirk. "Well, you might not know me yet, but I believe I've always been exactly like this."

Suddenly, a massive hand reached into the alley, grabbing the boy's collar. A furious vendor dragged him forward into the light. Terrified but desperate, the boy reached into his pocket, his small fingers wrapping around a concealed pocket knife, ready to strike.

He didn't need to.

Crack.

She hurled a heavy stone, striking the vendor squarely in the wrist. The man roared in pain, releasing his grip. Before the boy could even process what happened, she lunged forward, grabbed his hand tightly in hers, and pulled him sprint-ing down the opposite side of the maze-like streets.

In that fleeting, breathless moment, as their hands locked together, something shifted. He was no longer just an eleven-year-old boy running through the slums. Inside his chest beat the soul of a king who finally understood his penance. He looked at the girl running ahead of him, and he knew, with absolute certainty, that across every lifetime, she would always protect him.

Author's note : Life is more great when you seek yourself than anyone but sometimes after you do so many you considered selfish but isn't this all person do with their life to find themselves by choose themselves.

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