The warmth from the steadily burning logs in the fireplace offered a comforting glow, though Dimitri, a creature of the night, felt no true need for it. His skin remained cold, his vision perfectly adapted to the dim light. He was too comfortable in his current position to move, nestled amidst the quiet breathing of his family.

His parents, King Leonard and Queen Katrina, were curled up on the adjacent couch, fast asleep, looking vulnerable, almost human. Beside him, his younger sister, Ellie, snored softly, her head resting on his shoulder. It was a familiar, comforting tableau, one he was trying to etch into his memory.

Tomorrow, his life would change. He was to leave the palace for four torturous months, embarking on a journey through the kingdom's villages, disguised as a commoner. It was a rite of passage, a trial before his 100th birthday and his coronation as King. He knew he should rest, but his mind, an 'overthinker's' curse, wouldn't quiet. The thought of being away from his family, even for this crucial task, gnawed at him. At 5 AM, he would depart for the first village, Kena, and a new, unfamiliar life.