Astrophile

Prologue

"Rock-a-bye baby on the tree top."

A small, golden haired boy lay in the lap of another, the other boy's long brown hair tickling the forehead of the blonde child. He giggled as his soothing voice swam through the room like honey.

"When the wind blows, the cradle will rock."

Rain pattered on the tall, thin windows of the luxurious castle and slid down its crystal clear surface. It almost looked like a waterfall rather than drops slipping down a pane of glass.

"When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall."

"And down will come baby, cradle and all."

He finished with a bright smile that sent the shadows reeling away into the corners of the gloomy sitting room.

The blonde boy's hands joined together and he clapped, excited cheers joining the sound of the rain as it pounded on the round roof of their sanctuary, their oasis, their shelter.

Their home.

It wouldn't remain that way for long, though.

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That Night: 10 Years Ago

"Run."

The night was chillingly quiet as two boys raced through the streets. A brown haired boy toted the small, fair haired prince on his shoulders as he bolted through the cold, dark alleys of the city. The air was frigid, yanking at the boys as they fled.

The brown-haired boy watched as his panting breaths joined the air in a ploom of damp mist. He could feel something warm soaking into his clothes and could feel it spreading down his back. The salty tang of blood stained the air.

"R-r-ranboo." The prince cried out, cautioning him.

Ranboo's breathing was labored and he could barely see through the tears that spilled down his cheeks and soaked into his shirt. At least this seemed to warm him, if only for a brief spell.

"Sh-hh-h, it's going t-t-to be okay T-tommy." He whispered, his voice barely coming out through the hiccups that burst through each word like a knifepoint.

"It hurts so much."

"I know."

Ranboo pushed onwards and though his shaking legs felt like they were on the verge of collapse, he wouldn't let himself fall. No, he would make sure that the Prince was safe. He had to make sure of that, at least. After all, that's what his sacrifice had been for, right? And yet... he had lost them all.

Except for one.

His mind reeled away from that thought, away from the sacrifice that had gone up like smoke in the wind. Of the garden and of that beautiful, wonderful smile right before the storm had converged and had stolen that boy away from him, had stolen his best friend away and all of the dreams that they had carried and fashioned from dirt and dust.

Ranboo refused to lose Tommy now.

Not ever.

He continued on.

Ranboo had been running for a long, terrible hour. They'd escaped the confines of the city and now he bolted along a dirt path surrounded by trees draped in vine and ivy. No sounds resonated through the forest, almost as if the world was holding its breath, waiting for something to unfold.

Were the shadows too dark? No, but what was that prickling on the back of his neck? He felt like someone was watching him.

No, no, no. Ranboo couldn't let these thoughts take hold of his mind. He had to keep on going. He just had to make it somewhere safe. But, who could he trust? After all, the King would probably come out looking for them, right? Who could they trust to keep them hidden from the monsters that lurked deep within the shadows?