Sunlight filtered through the trees of the Tamaran forest, illuminating the boy's back and leaving his face completely hidden in shadow. Blackfire tilted her head slightly, trying to see him better. Before she could, she felt a firm hand grab her arm and pull her out of the hollow trunk.
"— Hey—!"
As he helped her to her feet, the boy suddenly seemed to realize something. His eyes widened.
"E-eh?!" — he swallowed hard. — "Y-you're King Myand'r's daughter! Y-you're the princess!"
Blackfire pulled her arm away with a small, sharp movement and stood upright, brushing herself off.
"Hmph… yes, I am Myand'r's daughter," she said quietly, her voice tinged with bitterness. "But I don't like being called a princess."
The boy took a few steps forward, finally emerging from the shadow. He had dark hair with long, messy strands, wore a simple white tank top, black shorts, and worn sandals. His green eyes shone with curiosity and nervousness.
"And you?" Blackfire asked, slowly stepping closer. "Who are you?"
Caught off guard by her sudden closeness, the boy looked away for a moment, clearly embarrassed.
"I-I'm Clark…" he replied. "I live near the Tamaran forest, in a small farming village."
Blackfire frowned slightly, trying to remember.
"A farming village… you look familiar. We study in the same classroom, don't we?"
Clark's face lit up with a shy smile.
"Yeah, we're in the same class," he said, genuinely happy that she remembered.
He then glanced around, watching the dense trees and deep shadows of the forest.
"But… what are you doing here?" he asked. "Someone as important as you shouldn't be walking alone through a cursed forest."
"EH?!" Blackfire's eyes widened. "C-cursed?!"
She looked around quickly, a chill running down her spine.
Clark let out a short laugh.
"Hahaha, yeah. There's an old legend. They say this forest was cursed by a demon a long time ago.
That it brings bad luck… that it haunts anyone who dares to walk through it…" — he continued dramatically. — "And that there are thousands of insects so dangerous that not even the strongest warrior could survive their venom."
He paused, watching her reaction.
"But it's just a legend."
Blackfire stood completely still, staring at Clark with a frightened expression, her body stiff.
"A-ah! Hey, hey, you don't need to worry!" Clark said quickly, noticing her fear. "It's just a legend! And… I'm here too."
He took a deep breath and added, with a sincere smile:
"I can protect you."
"Huh…?" Blackfire blinked in surprise.
Protect her?
For the first time in her life, someone had said that to her — not out of duty, not out of respect for her title, but out of kindness.
And it made something inside her burn in a different way.
"You don't need to be embarrassed, Komand'r. I just wanted to make you feel safer."
"Huh…?" Blackfire frowned. "How do you know my real name? I haven't told you yet."
Clark's eyes widened for a split second, clearly caught off guard.
"A-ah! I mean— we study at the same school, that's all!" he replied far too quickly.
Blackfire tilted her head, suspicious.
"Even so, I'm not usually called Komand'r. There, everyone calls me Blackfire."
"R-really?" Clark laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "I feel like I've heard that name before…"
She pressed her lips together, thinking.
"That's strange…" she murmured. "In the royal family, we are supposed to be called only by our battle names. My father is Mythus, my mother is Cyras… and I am Blackfire." She looked straight at him. "So how do you know my real name?"
Clark opened his mouth to answer, but before he could come up with another excuse, a woman's voice echoed through the forest — firm and worried:
"CLARK! GET OUT OF THE FOREST RIGHT NOW!"
He flinched.
"S-sorry…" he said, lowering his head. "That's my mom. She hates it when I come here."
Blackfire softened her expression.
"Oh… don't worry."
Clark took a deep breath, as if gathering courage, then smiled.
"Do you… want to come to my house with me?" he asked. "It's right over there, really close."
Blackfire hesitated, looking up at the sky growing darker between the treetops.
"I don't know… it's getting late, and I need to go back to the palace…"
"Oh, come on!" he said quickly, full of enthusiasm. "I'll get you something to eat. And… I want to introduce you to my mom and dad." He smiled sincerely. "They'll love meeting you."
Blackfire remained silent for a few seconds. The wind gently stirred the leaves around them.
Maybe… just maybe… that would be the first place where she didn't need to be a princess.
She took a deep breath. Looked once more toward the path leading back to the palace… then back at Clark.
"…Alright," she finally said. "I'll go."
His smile appeared instantly.
"Really? That's great!" Clark turned and started walking. "It's right here, you'll see."
They crossed the edge of the forest, where the trees gave way to open, simple fields. Within minutes, a small wooden house appeared before them, warm light spilling from its windows. There were no guards, no banners, no royal symbols — only silence, the smell of food, and the distant sound of night insects.
"Mom! Dad!" Clark called, opening the door. "I'm back—and I brought a guest!"
A woman with a tired but kind expression came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. Right behind her stood a tall man with a simple posture and attentive eyes.
"Clark, I told you not to go into the forest—" the woman began, but stopped when she noticed Blackfire behind her son.
Both adults froze.
The woman's eyes widened. The man stepped back.
"T-this is…" — her voice faltered. — "This is the…"
"Your Highness…" the man murmured, already beginning to kneel.
Before they could finish, Blackfire quickly stepped forward and raised her hands.
"No! Please, don't do that!" she said anxiously. "I don't want that."
They stopped, confused.
"But… you are the king's daughter," the woman said nervously. "It's our duty—"
"I know who I am," Blackfire replied, her voice firm but gentle. "But you don't need to do that."
There was a brief silence. Then the woman smiled — a small, sincere smile.
"Then… welcome to our home," she said. "I'm Elara. And this is my husband, Ronan."
Ronan nodded, still surprised, but respectful.
"It's an honor to have you here," he said.
Clark watched the scene in silence, visibly relieved.
"You must be hungry," Elara continued. "Come in, I was just finishing dinner."
Blackfire hesitated for a second… then smiled. A real smile.
"Thank you," she said. "Really."
As she stepped into the simple house, feeling the warmth and smelling the food, Blackfire reflected on something.
Here, for the first time, no one looked at her as a mistake.
Nor as a disgrace.
Nor as a princess.
Just Komand'r.
A normal person.