She's the Prince

Chapter 44

Who is Sebastian?

A hidden world lay beneath their feet, a clandestine highway winding through the village. As Ares and Callan ventured deeper, they stumbled upon a scene that twisted their hearts: men, battered and bruised, alongside a few small children, all relying on the uninjured women who tended to their wounds.

"I will cure them," declared Sebastian, his voice steady amidst the chaos.

"Very well," Ares replied, his gaze scanning the makeshift triage.

A woman's anxious, shaking voice cut through the air. "Have you seen my son?" she asked one of the soldiers.

Callan and Ares exchanged glances, and Callan approached the distraught mother. "Lady, what's your son like?" he inquired gently.

She described him in vivid detail, her voice a mix of hope and despair. Callan's heart ached as he and Ares shared a silent understanding.

"I'll bring your son to you," Ares assured her.

"Do you know where my son is, mister?" she pressed, hope flickering in her eyes.

Ares nodded with determination. "Wait for me. I'll bring him back."

Turning on his heel, Ares strode towards Sebastian, who was deftly bandaging an injured man. "Sebastian," Ares began, taking a seat beside him. "A mother is looking for her child. How am I supposed to find that boy?"

Sebastian paused, then lifted his hand to cover Ares' eyes. A chill, like menthol, seeped through his skin. When Sebastian withdrew his hand, Ares gasped. His vision sharpened, the distance before him crystal clear.

"Whoa! How did you do that?" Ares asked, astonished.

"Get the child, Prince Ares. Let's talk later," Sebastian replied, urgency in his tone.

"Okay," Ares said, rising to his feet and hurrying away.

Someone Sebastian was treating overheard and asked, "Sir, did you just call that man a prince?"

Sebastian nodded, his eyes glinting with pride. "He's one of the princes of Zodiac Town."

A ripple of surprise passed through the crowd. They needed no introduction; Ares was a familiar name in Midstar Village.

***

Ares felt the weight of sleep as he and his fellow soldiers carried him. The moment he awakened, the boy sprang into his mother's embrace, their reunion warm and heartening.

Yet, as Ares stood by, he was taken aback when the villagers knelt before him.

'What's happening?' he wondered, glancing toward Callan. Approaching his friend, he whispered, "What's going on? They frighten me, you know."

Callan chuckled softly. "They seem to know you. When the healer Sebastian called you prince, their curiosity peaked. The soldiers had to tell them a story."

"But you know it's not me, right?" Ares murmured, unease creeping in.

"They know nothing of your secret," Callan replied. "Enjoy being famous."

Ares laughed, stepping forward. "No more werewolves coming after you!"

"What do you mean, Prince Ares?" a villager asked, confusion knitting their brow.

"All of them were murdered by Prince Ares and Captain Callan," said a soldier.

Gasps rippled through the crowd. "The werewolves who terrorized us are dead?" one villager asked, incredulous.