👑 The Prince's Heart ❤

☆A Glimmer of Hope☆

(Izana's POV)

The world around me blurred, the devastation of the castle sinking into my bones. My father was gone, my mother and Evelyn taken. I didn't know who was responsible, and it didn't matter—all that mattered now was getting them back. Fury burned in my veins, sharpening my senses. But beneath the anger, there was something else. A deep, gnawing fear.

I had lost too much already.

I sprinted through the rubble, past fallen soldiers and shattered windows. The air was thick with the smell of blood and smoke, but I couldn't stop. The image of that fleeing carriage was etched into my mind. It was too far gone now to catch up to on foot, but I had to try.

"Your Highness!" a voice shouted from the side, halting me in my tracks. I whipped my head around and saw Kakucho—my best friend, still alive, limping slightly as he emerged from the wreckage. His clothes were torn, and blood covered his armor, but he was standing. I ran to him, my heart pounding not just from exertion but from a strange hope that flickered in my chest.

"Kakucho," I gasped. "You're alive."

"I could say the same to you," he replied, his voice strained with pain. His eyes flickered over the destruction around us, filled with the same disbelief I felt. "What happened here?"

"Raiders. They—" I swallowed, my throat tight. "They killed my father. Took my mother and Evelyn."

Kakucho's eyes widened, but there was no time to let the gravity of it all sink in. "I was knocked out before I could do anything. When I woke up, I thought—"

"I know," I interrupted, clenching my jaw. "We'll talk about it later. Right now, I need your help. We have to find them."

He didn't hesitate, didn't question me. He simply nodded, despite the exhaustion that clearly weighed him down. "I'll follow you anywhere."

We wasted no time. Kakucho and I quickly mounted our horses—thankfully, some of the stables had survived the attack—and galloped down the path where I'd seen the carriage disappear. My mind raced as fast as the horses' hooves pounded the earth beneath us. There was so much I didn't understand, so many questions swirling in my head. Who were the attackers? What did they want with my mother and Evelyn? And why had they left without taking anything else?

We rode for what felt like hours, following the tracks of the carriage as best we could. But the further we went, the more they faded. The forest grew thick, the terrain uneven. Soon, the tracks were swallowed by the underbrush, and we were left with nothing but the empty woods stretching out before us.

"Damn it," I cursed under my breath, pulling my horse to a stop. I dismounted, pacing in frustration as Kakucho followed suit. The weight of failure pressed on me, but I refused to let it crush me. Not yet. I couldn't afford to lose hope. Not now.

"They can't have gone far," Kakucho said, scanning the trees. "We should split up, cover more ground."

I shook my head. "No. We stick together. We don't know how many of them are out there. They could be watching us right now."

Kakucho looked like he wanted to argue but stayed silent. He knew I was right. There was no point in rushing into danger blindly, not without a plan. But every second that passed felt like a lifetime. Every moment I didn't find them, the knot in my chest tightened.

"I should've stayed," I muttered, more to myself than to him. "I should've known something was wrong."

"You couldn't have known," Kakucho said firmly, stepping beside me. "Don't start blaming yourself. This isn't your fault."

I let out a sharp breath, the words catching in my throat. He didn't understand—he couldn't. Evelyn, my mother... they were everything. And I had left them, even for just a moment, and now they were gone.

But standing here, stewing in my guilt, wouldn't bring them back.

"We need to keep searching," I said, more resolutely. "We'll find them. We have to."

We mounted our horses again and continued deeper into the forest, our eyes scanning every shadow, every possible hiding spot. But the further we went, the more hopeless it began to feel. The tracks had disappeared completely now, and the forest stretched on endlessly. There was no sign of the bandits, no sign of where they might have gone.

Night began to fall, and still, we rode. I couldn't stop. I couldn't go back to the castle without them. The thought of returning to that place, to the empty halls where my father's body still lay—it made my stomach turn.

But as the darkness settled in, it became clear we couldn't go on like this. Even Kakucho, usually so steady and composed, looked worried. "Izana," he said, pulling his horse to a halt again. "We need to rest. We can't search all night in the dark. We'll get lost ourselves."

I hated to admit it, but he was right. I reluctantly dismounted, feeling the weariness creep into my bones. My entire body ached, but the pain in my chest was worse. The thought of stopping now felt like giving up. But we needed a plan—something better than aimlessly wandering through the forest.

Kakucho built a small fire as we set up camp for the night. The flames flickered and cast long shadows around us, but even the warmth couldn't chase away the cold in my heart. I stared into the fire, my mind replaying the events of the day over and over again.

"Do you have any idea who might've done this?" Kakucho asked after a long stretch of silence.

I shook my head. "No. It wasn't a regular raid. They took my mother and Evelyn. That means they want something... either ransom or leverage."

"Or revenge," Kakucho added quietly.

I looked at him sharply, but he wasn't wrong. There were plenty of people who had reasons to hate my family, my father in particular. But what bothered me most was the timing. This attack had been precise, well-planned. It was no coincidence they struck on the day when I was occupied with state matters. Someone had given them inside information.

"I'll find out who did this," I said, my voice hardening with resolve. "And when I do, they'll regret ever setting foot in that castle."

Kakucho nodded, but there was a heaviness in his expression. He knew as well as I did that this was only the beginning.

We stayed silent for the rest of the night, neither of us able to sleep. Every rustle in the trees, every gust of wind set my nerves on edge. I kept thinking about Evelyn, wondering where she was, if she was hurt, if she was scared. The thought of her in danger twisted my insides, but I pushed it down. I couldn't afford to lose control. Not yet.

By morning, we were back on the trail again, searching for any sign, any clue. But the longer we searched, the more desperate I became. It was as if they had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind.

By the time we returned to the castle, empty-handed, the weight of failure pressed heavily on my shoulders. I had promised myself I would find them, but I had nothing. The castle felt even colder now, the silence unbearable.

My father was gone. My mother and Evelyn were still missing.

And I didn't know where to turn next.

As I walked through the ruined halls, my heart clenched painfully in my chest. But I couldn't give up. Not yet.

I had to believe that somewhere, they were still alive.

And I would find them—no matter what it took.

(1314 Words)