Outside Noel's House
Noel was walking toward her house when she suddenly noticed a dark shadow near the entrance.
Noel: "AHH—GHOST!!" 😱😱
She froze.
The shadow didn't move.
Noel: "…Why are you not moving?" 😶
Taking a deep breath, she cautiously tiptoed closer and poked it with her finger.
Noel: "…Oh."
She stared at it.
Noel: "It's just a post box." 😑
She sighed in embarrassment.
Noel: "Looks like the neighbors placed it this afternoon. At least they noticed the area's clean now. Good!" 😊
After stretching her tired arms, she walked toward her door.
Noel: "Hope that king found a place to stay. If he did… good for him."
Just as she reached for the doorknob, her phone suddenly rang.
Noel: "Huh? Who now?"
She checked the caller ID.
Noel: "Oh, librarian uncle!"
She answered cheerfully.
Noel: "Hello, Uncle! 😊"
Librarian: "HELLO, NOEL! WHERE ARE YOU?!" 😤
Noel nearly dropped her phone.
Noel: "Eh?! I'm home! What happened?!" 😨
Librarian: "YOUR HUSBAND ISN'T LEAVING MY LIBRARY!"
Noel: "…My what?"
Librarian: "YOUR HUSBAND! HE'S BEEN SITTING HERE FOR SEVEN HOURS!"
Noel: "SEVEN HOURS?! 😱"
Librarian: "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR FAMILY PROBLEMS ARE! COME AND TAKE YOUR HUSBAND HOME BEFORE I LOSE MY MIND!"
Call disconnected.
Noel slowly lowered her phone.
Noel: "…Husband?" 😶
She blinked.
Noel: "Wait. Does he mean… HIM?"
For several seconds, she stared at the screen.
Then she sighed.
Noel: "Okay, Uncle. I'm coming."
She ended the call and immediately rushed out.
Noel: "MR. KING, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THERE?!" she whispered furiously.
And with that, Noel dashed toward the library. 😱
The Library
The librarian stood outside a dark side room, his patience hanging by a thread.
Librarian: "MISTER! COME OUT RIGHT NOW, OR YOU WILL WITNESS MY TRUE ANGER!" 😤
Silence.
Librarian: "I'M WARNING YOU! I'VE BEEN RUNNING THIS LIBRARY FOR THIRTY YEARS! NOBODY HAS EVER TESTED MY PATIENCE LIKE THIS!"
Still, there was no response.
The librarian clenched his fists.
Librarian: "Unbelievable! Even the ghosts in this building are more cooperative!"
But inside the room, Aaron heard none of his threats properly.
There were no lights.
No windows.
No warmth.
Only darkness.
And in that darkness sat a king.
Aaron had collapsed onto the floor, his knees pulled tightly against his chest. His face was buried between his arms, and his shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
He was crying.
Not the quiet, dignified tears of a ruler mourning a loss.
But the broken sobs of someone who had lost everything he believed in.
His chest hurt.
His throat burned.
Every breath felt like swallowing broken glass.
He tried to silence himself, pressing his hands against his mouth.
Kings shouldn't cry.
Men shouldn't cry.
Omegas shouldn't show weakness.
Those were the rules he had lived by.
But what was the point of being a king when he couldn't even protect his own heart?
He had seen his own death in the betrayal of someone he trusted.
His husband had betrayed him.
His friend had stabbed him from behind.
And the future he had carefully imagined had shattered before his eyes.
He had a kingdom waiting for him outside that room.
Ministers who needed answers.
People who expected strength.
A throne he was supposed to return to.
Yet, at that moment, Aaron couldn't even find the strength to stand.
He pressed his forehead against his knees.
For once, he didn't want to be a king.
He didn't want to be powerful.
He didn't want to be brave.
He simply wanted someone to tell him that everything would be okay.
But nobody came.
And so, in a forgotten corner of the library, the strongest man in the kingdom sat alone, choking on tears he no longer knew how to stop.
Outside, the librarian continued shouting.
And somewhere on the road, Noel was rushing toward him.
Neither of them knew that behind that closed door sat a man whose entire world had fallen apart.
To be continued....