Levi left the ballroom without sparing a glance behind him. Ryker followed closely, his jaw tight.
"You realize," Ryker began, voice low but sharp, "storming out like that is a direct insult to His Majesty."
Levi did not slow. "And yet, here I am."
They climbed the grand staircases in silence, marble echoing with the sound of Levi's boots. When they reached his chambers, Levi pushed open the heavy doors and walked into the familiar gloom. His room was draped in shadows, cold and unwelcoming, as if it too shared his disdain for warmth.
He shrugged off his black coat and tossed it carelessly onto a chair, the fine fabric crumpling like rags. Then, without a word, he began to strip away the layers of his royal attire - silks and gold trimmings falling one by one - until he stood in a plain, dark tunic and trousers, attire closer to a commoner than a prince.
From the far side of the room, Ryker watched with folded arms. "Dare I ask what you're planning?"
Levi's voice was quiet, almost bored. "Fresh air."
"Fresh air?" Ryker scoffed, his eyes narrowing as Levi adjusted the last of his outfit. "You can cover yourself however you like, but it won't matter. People will always know who you are. Your eyes..." He hesitated, the weight of unspoken truth pressing against his tongue. "...they'll give you away."
For a heartbeat, silence fell.
Then Levi turned, his golden irises blazing in the dim light. He stepped toward Ryker let with predatory grace, each movement deliberate, heavy with intent. His aura thickened - bloodlust curling through the air like smoke.
Ryker throat tightened. He told himself not to flinch, not to retreat, but the closer Levi drew, the more his pulse betrayed him. By the time the prince stood a breath away, Ryker swore his heart had skipped several beats.
And then-Levi smirked.
Without a word, he reached past Ryker and plucked a glass bottle from the table behind him.
Ryker let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "You enjoy yourself every time you do this."
A flicker of amusement danced across Levi's lips as he uncorked the bottle. Tilting it back, he drank deeply, throat working as the liquid burned down. His eyes fluttered shut, his jaw tense.
When he opened them again, the molten gold had dulled into the ordinary amber of any man.
"Yes," he said simply, his voice rich with satisfaction. "I do."
He strode past Ryker without another word and stepped out onto the balcony. Moonlight bathed him in silver as he climbed onto the railing.
"See you. " Levi muttered, and with effortless grace, he leapt into the night.
The drop was nearly 56 meters. Anyone else would have broken their neck on the stones below.
But Levi was not anyone else.
Ryker pinched the bridge of his nose and turned toward the door. "Monster," he muttered under his breath. "And yet here I am... still following you."
-------------
Levi landed soundlessly on his feet, the stones beneath him hardly daring to echo his presence. His body straightened in one fluid motion, not a trace of strain in his movements.
Not far off, the palace guards stood in their scattered posts, oblivious. Levi's gaze swept over them once, cold and disdainful. With effortless ease, he slipped past their lines of sight, melting into the shadows as though the night itself had claimed him.
A faint scoff left his lips. "Useless."
The so-called defenders of the crown were huddled around a table lit by a flickering lantern. Senior guards lounged in their seats, drinking lazily, their favorite juniors clustered at their sides, playing dice and trading boasts as if the kingdom was not their responsibility tonight.
Meanwhile, the younger ones - the fresh recruits who should have been patrolling - leaned against the walls and fences, whispering excitedly. Their voices carried in the stillness of the night.
"I heard from the maids that His Majesty's temper was boiling again today..."
"Forget that, did you see the daughters of Duke Phoros? Beautiful doesn't begin to cover it."
"And Lady Cassia in her gown tonight... gods help me, I'll be dreaming of her until next year's Harvest."
Levi's lip curled faintly. These were the men charged to protect the realm - drinking, gambling, chasing rumors like star-struck children. They wouldn't last a heartbeat against something real. Against him.
He moved on, silent and unseen, slipping past their broken protocol with the grace of a predator. To them, he was nothing more than a passing chill in the night air.
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