Chapter Text
The morning was calm, bathed in the bright glow of the rising sun, and the morning mist could still be felt in the air, hovering over the grass. Around the castle were huge gardens of various flowers, plants, and trees. They stretched from the gate to the marble steps of the main entrance.
And among the flowers ran a small boy. He looked dreamlike, as if he himself belonged to the morning phantoms, something ephemeral and magical.
His name was Kabukimono. He was only a few years old, and his eyes still showed childlike innocence. His dark purple hair reached down to his waist and was blown by the light breeze. He stretched his hands toward the rising sun, trying to catch it. He laughed, enjoying himself, and one of the maids ran after him, asking him to pay more attention, but he was too busy having fun to listen to her worries. He was not a troublesome child; on the contrary, his kindness and charm won everyone's affection, so his minor disobedience was forgiven.
Cherry blossoms fell on his shoulders, and he caught them in his hand, raised them to his lips, and blew them away, sending them on a journey into the unknown.
He ran on, jumping onto the stone steps by the fountain and jumping off with joy, until he suddenly felt a slight tiredness in his legs. He stopped, surprised, as if the world around him was slowly spinning. His heart beat faster. He took a deep breath, dismissing the strange feeling.
With every step, he began to feel his heart beating faster, as if his body wanted to stop the fun and was giving him a warning. He ran another few meters, feeling free and light. His eyes still sparkled with joy, and his lips formed a sincere, broad smile.
He finally stopped at the fountain, knelt down, and dipped his hands in the cool water. Droplets splashed on his shoulders and face as he looked at his reflection in the water. His breath caught for a moment and his heart raced.
He sat down for a moment, touching his chest with his hand. Then he smiled uncertainly again and stood up.
After just a few steps, he felt his legs getting heavier and his heart beating almost painfully. The boy tried to speed up, wanting to prove to himself that nothing was wrong.
The dizziness became so strong that he could no longer keep his balance, and in an instant, the world disappeared from under his feet. He fell onto the soft grass, pressing his hands into the ground, trying to get up, but he felt powerless. Tears welled up in his eyes, and his lips trembled in a silent cry for help.
The woman who had been assigned to watch over the boy immediately ran to him, worried. She fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around him, trying to support him. “Your Highness?” She said in panic.
Kabukimono opened his mouth, but again no sound came out. His eyelids grew heavier, and he covered his face with his hands, trying to catch his breath.
The maid lifted him up and ran toward the palace corridors. "Call a doctor!"
Several guards rushed over to her and immediately overtook the boy. Kabukimono's mother, noticing the commotion, appeared a few seconds later, her eyes immediately filling with fear. She ran alongside the guards, holding his delicate hand.
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He opened his eyes and looked around. For a moment, he didn't know where he was. The air in the room was cooler now, and moonlight was shining through the curtains.
The boy tried to remember what had happened. His last memories ran chaotically through his head. He slowly moved his hands over the bedding and got up. He still felt tired, but he felt a great desire to ask someone for details.
He walked to the door and grabbed the metal doorknob. In response, he encountered resistance. His small body leaned against it with all his weight, trying to open it, but nothing happened.
"Why...?" he whispered, his voice echoing.
He tried again, harder. The metal of the handle trembled under his fingers, but the door remained closed. He felt fear and a sudden sense of isolation.
He took a few steps across the room, now looking more closely at the details. Only now did he notice that he was not in his own room, but in one of the guest rooms.
He sat down on the floor, hugging his knees with his arms. He knew that all he could do now was wait, even though he didn't want to. He wanted freedom, he needed it.
He felt the silence even more now, as if the whole world was watching his first real frustration and loneliness.
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The sun was already beginning to rise when Kabukimono slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was his mother sitting by his bed. Considering that he had fallen asleep sitting on the floor yesterday, she must have moved him. Her hand gently stroked his hair, and her eyes showed concern.
"Good morning, dear," she whispered, her voice trembling.
Kabukimono smiled faintly. He stretched slightly, though his body still felt heavy.
"Why was the door locked yesterday?" he said quietly. "Why am I here and not in my room?"
The woman smiled gently, but her eyes darted to the side. "I wanted you to be able to rest peacefully. You need sleep."
The boy frowned. He didn't understand. For as long as he could remember, he had always been able to go out into the garden early in the morning to run around, and now he was being denied that, told to rest.
"But I feel fine now," he tried to convince her. "I can go out, after all..."
His mother leaned over him and kissed his cheek lightly. "Not yet. The doctor said you really should spend some time lying down, think of it as catching a cold."
"Cold" sounded really simple. Kabukimono knew it really well. A cold meant a runny nose, a cough, a fever, a few boring days in bed, and then back to having fun. But what he felt yesterday... it wasn't just a cold. He remembered the heaviness in his legs and the dizziness that made the world disappear before his eyes.
"I really feel fine," he tried to protest again. His words were full of childish naivety.
The woman just shook her head. "Kabukimono, listen to me. I don't want you to feel bad again. What happened yesterday scared me a lot."
He fell silent. He bowed his head, feeling the rebellion that had been boiling in his heart a moment ago slowly melt away.
"You mean... I'm sick?" he asked quietly, almost in a whisper.
She hesitated before answering. "Your heart is... unique," she replied after a moment, as if weighing her words. "It's like porcelain—beautiful and delicate at the same time. We have to take good care of it now."
The boy looked at her with confusion. He didn't feel anything was different, he just felt a little tired, so why was she acting as if he were now a completely different person, as if something terrible had happened?
He was silent for a moment, then turned his head toward the covered window. He wanted to return to his routine. For him, it was freedom, hearing the birds sing, the wind in his hair, the flowers. And now... all he had was this room, smelling of various herbs.
"But tomorrow... tomorrow I'll be able to go?" he asked suddenly, turning to her with hope lighting up his eyes.
She hesitated. That one word, that one promise could break her heart. But she didn't want her son to feel completely trapped. Not yet. She hugged him tightly, hiding her face in his long hair. "We'll see, sweetheart."
Kabukimono smiled, trusting her completely. He didn't yet understand that this door would not open so easily. He didn't yet know that the freedom he desired was slowly slipping through his fingers.