One day, we'll both be free from here. I promise.
Six centuries after the previous civilization came to a catastrophic end, the remnants of humanity survive in a seemingly utopian paradise. Nehemiah Tumen is the only friend of Crowned Prince Erik Ny...
The warm, tropical breeze brushed through the leaves in the Imperial gardens. The setting sun in the southwest cast a soft, orange-pink blanket over the twilight sky. Lush greenery ran alongside the garden's pathways, and the murmur of flowing water whispered in the distance. As the sun disappeared from view, the glow of two moons* became visible over the tiled rooftops of the city beyond the palace walls. The Rings of Earth* cast a luminous ark in the distance.
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I sat at a small, circular wooden table on one of the palace balconies overlooking the gardens, my long, dark hair swaying gently in the breeze. Observing the evening scenery, a calm, tranquil peace rested over my soul, but a feeling of distant melancholy was nagging at my heart. Before I could gather my thoughts, the silence was interrupted by the sound of an excited voice rushing onto the terrace behind me. Prince Erik. My only real friend.
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"Friend" was the term he used to describe our relationship. I didn't really have a choice to be in his presence, and neither did he. But as two boys born with our lives already laid out before us, there wasn't anything we could do about our circumstances. I was the only person he called a "friend," but seeing as neither of us had much interaction with anyone else, I didn't know if our relationship lived up to the standard of "friendship". He seemed to enjoy my company. Was that because he personally appreciated me, or because there was no one else he could really talk to? I didn't dislike his presence, but I didn't feel the same towards him as he did towards me. At least that's what I told myself. That's what I had first believed when I'd met him all those years back. But if that was really true, why did it hurt so much now that I was leaving him?
"Nehemiah!" Erik shouted. I turned my gaze slowly towards his direction, away from the gardens, as he stepped out onto the terrace.
My heart skipped a beat every time he said my name. Why was that? That didn't used to happen. When we were younger, I was often annoyed that I had to spend most days in his presence. He was cheerful and optimistic. I was more aloof and bleak. But despite our opposite personalities, I could actually say that I felt content in his presence.
