Elias just couldn't help himself— the palace walls were practically begging him to sneak out again. With every passing day, the weight of royal duties grew heavier, and the world beyond those grand gates called to him like the ocean to the shore.

"Just for an hour," he muttered under his breath, tugging his hood low as he slipped through the side garden gate. "Maybe two. Three, if no one notices."

Disguised in plain clothes and moving with practiced ease, the young prince vanished into the tropical streets. No guards. No expectations. Just freedom.

He wasn't looking for anything in particular—just the thrill of the unknown, the scent of market spices, and the sound of laughter from people who had never bowed to him.

That's when it happened.

He turned a corner too quickly and—thud—collided hard with someone.

"Oh! I—I'm so sorry—" Elias started, steadying the figure. He looked up and blinked.

A girl.

She was clearly not from around here—foreign in dress, in presence, and in the way she looked at him like she saw through him. Not as a prince. Not even as a stranger. Just... him.

He flashed a crooked smile, brushing a hand through his hair. "Well, that's one way to meet someone," he said, chuckling. "Are you alright?"

For once, Elias didn't feel the need to run.