Morning came over Nyki with the soft glow of sunlight spilling across the cobblestone streets and the patchwork of fields. The village seemed ordinary, alive with the mundane sounds of life: hens clucking, children laughing, merchants calling their wares, and the distant hum of the river. But for Victoric, ordinary was never ordinary enough.
She burst into the kitchen, her small feet thudding against the wooden floor. Her golden hair bounced as she ran, her cheeks flushed from excitement.
"Mama! Mama! You'll never believe what happened last night!" she exclaimed, almost tripping over her own energy.
Her mother, a gentle woman with pale hair that lacked the golden glimmer of her daughter's, looked up from the pot she was stirring. "Ah, Victoric, you're back. How was… whatever it is you do at night?" Her tone was soft, patient, though the hint of skepticism was obvious.
"I saw him! A boy! By the river! He… he was glowing! And he… he spoke to me!" Victoric waved her hands dramatically, eyes wide. "Mama, it was real!"
Her mother raised an eyebrow, stirring slowly. "A glowing boy by the river, you say?" She smiled faintly, a smile that did not quite reach her eyes. "It sounds like a wonderful dream, Victoric. But dreams do have a habit of… feeling real, don't they?"
Victoric's face scrunched in frustration. "No! It wasn't a dream! He was really there! He… he said things! I… I can't explain!"
Her mother chuckled softly, brushing a strand of golden hair behind Victoric's ear. "I am sure it was wonderful, dear. But perhaps it is best to focus on your chores and schoolwork for now."
Victoric pouted, but reluctantly nodded. There was no convincing her mother, not today.
By mid-morning, she had rushed to school, carrying her satchel slung unevenly over one shoulder. Her friends were already gathered, sitting under the large oak near the entrance.
"You'll never believe what happened last night!" Victoric blurted the moment she reached them.
One by one, her friends looked up, eyes bright with curiosity at first, then narrowing into skeptical frowns.
"Hmm… you had another dream, Victoric?" asked one, rolling her eyes. "Last time you said you saw a dragon by the hills."
"No! This wasn't a dream!" Victoric stomped her foot, frustration bubbling in her small chest. "I saw a boy! He was real! He… he talked! And he was by the river! I… I even yelled at him! And… and…" Her words tumbled over each other, wild and unfiltered, the excitement making her nearly speechless.
Her friends exchanged looks, some whispering, some laughing quietly.
"You're just dreaming too much, Vic," one said with a shrug. "Maybe the river's water made you see things."
Victoric's cheeks flushed red. "I'm not dreaming! He… he's real! I know he is!"
The group fell silent for a moment, unsure how to respond to her earnestness. Then, from the edge of the playground, a soft, teasing voice broke the awkward pause.
"Umm…humm…weird screaming girl…hello?"
Victoric froze mid-gesture, her mouth opening in a perfect "O" of shock. Her friends turned to see a boy standing there, golden hair catching the morning sun, eyes sparkling with mischievous curiosity. He tilted his head slightly, one eyebrow raised, watching her with an unreadable expression.
It was him. The boy from the river. The glowing, impossible, unforgettable boy.
Her friends gasped. Some whispered, "Is that…?" while others stared, wide-eyed.
Victoric's knees felt weak, her hands shaking as she held her satchel tighter. "Y… you… you're… real!" she stammered, her voice high-pitched, half in disbelief and half in awe.
The boy took a slow step closer, his gaze sweeping over the group, finally resting fully on her. "I… am real," he said casually, almost lazily, though his tone carried a strange weight. "And I think… I know you."
Victoric's heart leapt, and she blinked rapidly. "You… you know me?"
He tilted his head, expression unreadable. "Yes… though perhaps not in the way you expect."
Her friends leaned in, whispering urgently to one another. "Who is he?" "Is he a prince?" "Why is he here?"
Victoric, however, was lost. The world had shrunk to just the two of them. The boy—her boy from the river, her impossible, unforgettable Kain—was here, in the flesh, and he was looking at her.
Finally, after a long pause, he spoke again. "You screamed… quite a lot last night."
Victoric's mouth opened, then closed. She looked down at her hands, her face flushing deep red. "I… I… I didn't mean to! I just… I…"
He smirked faintly, the hint of amusement in his gaze softening the tension. "It's… fine. Really. I don't mind."
Her friends were whispering frantic questions behind her, but Victoric barely heard them. She was frozen in place, her chest pounding, eyes wide with awe and disbelief.
"K… Kain… are… you…?" she finally managed, her voice almost a whisper.
"I am," he said simply, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "And now… I suppose it's your turn to explain why you screamed so loudly by the river."
Victoric gulped, trying to find her voice. "I… I… I don't know. I just… I thought… I thought you were someone else. Or… or maybe I was dreaming. But… you're real! You're really here!"
Kain's smirk widened just a little. "Real enough, I'd say. And it seems you're just as… loud… as you were last night."
Her cheeks burned hotter. "I… I was not loud! I… I…!"
He raised a hand lazily, cutting off her protest. "Calm yourself, little Victoric. We have… much to discuss."
Victoric's eyes darted toward her friends, then back to him. "Discuss? What… what do you mean?"
Kain's expression softened. "You'll see. Soon enough."
The tension between them was strange, a mix of fear, awe, and excitement. The river, the night, the village—they all felt distant now, as if the world had shrunk to just the two of them.
Her friends whispered, exclaiming, nudging, trying to get answers, but Victoric barely noticed. The boy—her boy—was real, standing there, in front of her. And everything she had believed about that night… was no longer a dream.
The moment stretched, long and fragile, until finally, Kain spoke again. "I think… we should go for a walk. Alone."
Victoric's heart skipped a beat. "A… alone? But… I… we… the river…"
He tilted his head. "Yes. Alone. Trust me."
The crowd of friends and villagers melted away as if they were no longer part of the scene. The golden morning sun bathed the village in light, but it was the boy's eyes, golden and sharp, that held her attention.
And in that fleeting, magical moment, Victoric realized that the adventure she had only dreamed of… had just begun.
Her friends whispered in shock behind her, but Victoric barely heard them. Her world had shifted.
She didn't know what awaited her. She didn't know what Kain would say next. She didn't even know what this strange, golden-haired boy would do.
But one thing was certain:
The ordinary, quiet life of Nyki… had ended.
And the boy she had met at the river—her Kain—was very, very real.