The harsh truth
The icy wind whipped mercilessly through the narrow alleyway, but the freezing temperature outside was nothing compared to the numbing chill seeping into his heart. The boy clutched his thin, tattered coat tightly, his trembling hands struggling to keep it closed against the biting frost. His tear-filled eyes remained fixed on the empty end of the desolate street, waiting for a figure he secretly feared would never appear.
"My brother will come," he whispered into the freezing air, his voice shaking with a desperate attempt to convince himself. "He doesn't lie to me... never. He would never break his promise."
A few steps away stood another boy—well-fed, wearing a heavy wool coat and a warm scarf wrapped around his neck. He looked at the orphan with a mixture of fleeting curiosity and blunt, unfeeling honesty.
"Stop nonsense dreaming!" the rich boy said, shaking his head coldly. "Wake up from your delusion, your brother is dead."
"I refuse this!" the poor boy shouted, tears welling up in his eyes and blurring the dismal world around him. "My brother will come! I know he will!"
The rich boy turned away and called out sharply, "Mummy! This person was looking for his brother, and I told him that his brother is dead! He is the boy whose brother was attacked by dogs yesterday!"
At that moment, an elegantly dressed woman stepped into the alley, the hem of her fine fur coat brushing lightly against the filthy street. She gasped and stared at her son in utter disbelief and shock.
"How did you know about that?!" she asked.
"Everyone in town was talking about it yesterday!" the rich boy replied with casual childish innocence.
The woman grabbed her son’s arm tightly, pulling him away from the orphan as if the poor boy carried a contagious disease or bad luck. "Stop this nonsense! Let’s go. I’ll punish you when we get home for wandering around, talking to strangers, and listening to street gossip!"
"But why, Mummy?"
"Shut up and walk!" she snapped, dragging him away without granting the miserable child left behind a single glance or a shred of pity.
The orphan stood frozen in place. The bitter truth slowly seeped into his core, trampling the very last thread of hope he had been clinging to all day.
*(If I am truly left alone in this cruel world... if I lose the only person who protected me and made me feel safe... how can I stand? How will I live now?)*
His entire body began to tremble uncontrollably—not just from the biting cold, but from the unbearable weight of utter solitude. He was an orphan, penniless, with no roof over his head, and not a single soul in this world cared whether he lived or died. He sank to his knees on the frozen ground and closed his eyes, surrendering to the overwhelming darkness consuming him.
Suddenly, a gentle and warm voice broke the eerie silence: "Why are you sad? You can tell me about your problem, and I will find a solution."
The orphan let out a hollow, dry laugh inside his broken mind.
*(My brother was the only one who ever asked about me... Is there really anyone else who cares now? Or am I starting to hallucinate from hunger and cold?)*
Slowly and hesitantly, he turned his head toward the sound.
His eyes met a pair of warm brown eyes—brimming with a radiant light of life and hope that instantly mended his broken spirit. Standing before him was a child with angelic features, clad in pristine clothes and surrounded by an aura of tranquility.
The stranger offered a soft smile and spoke in a calm, comforting tone: "I’m **Prince Kai**. I’m here to ease your worries. And you... won't you introduce yourself to me?"
The frail boy’s breath caught in his throat. A strange chill spread through his veins, and his body shook violently as if an earthquake were shaking his wretched insides. For the first time in this long, dark night, someone was extending a helping hand without asking for anything in return.
**Prince Kai** stepped closer, extending his hands to make the poor, shivering boy feel safe. But the overwhelming shock, severe exhaustion, and sudden sensation of warmth were too much for his frail, depleted body to handle.
The orphan boy’s remaining strength gave out completely, and he collapsed forward—falling straight into the prince’s arms.
