Once upon a time there was a kingdom. The kingdom was ruled by a gentle Queen and her King, and together they were beloved by all. For many years the Queen and King tried to have a child, and finally succeeded. But when the Queen was heavy with child, the King fell ill. The Queen sent for the best healers in all of her kingdom and the ones nearby, but none of them were successful in their attempts at healing the King.

And so, after many long months of despair, the King passed away. The kingdom mourned, but the Queen had to be strong. Her child was to be born soon, and while the loss of her husband had crushed her, the Queen's heart was filled with hope whenever she thought of the little bundle of joy she'd soon get to hold in her arms.

The child was born, head full of brilliant white hair and eyes the same color as his mother's, and the Queen's life was filled with purpose again. The Queen's magical advisors soon determined that the baby was blessed with potent healing magic, the bright white hair on his head holding the key to great power. And at that moment the Queen knew that her son was destined to be the most beloved and gentle ruler her land had ever seen.

Her happiness did not last long, however. For the Queen had a brother, a bitter man who had been cast away from the court, unpopular with the people. While his sister had inherited the crown and was loved by her devoted husband as well as the citizens of her kingdom, the brother was left with nothing.

So in a fit of jealousy the Queen's brother acted, wanting to take her happiness away once more. One night he infiltrated the castle, heading straight for the nursery. And in there he found his nephew. At that moment he was reassured that stealing the child away was indeed the right thing for him to do; for he could sense the child's powerful magic and realized how it could serve him well.

Thus, into the night he disappeared, with his nephew in his arms. And when the Queen awoke, her heart was broken once again. For the second time, she had lost the most precious thing in her life.

Not even the best officers in the kingdom could find the child, no matter how far they searched. For the Queen's brother had hid him well, in a high tower guarded by cliffs, hidden deep inside the forest. And in there he raised the child, nurturing his magical powers and benefitting from them. They kept the brother young, healthy and powerful, and he took great pleasure in knowing that the Queen spent each passing year mourning his son, the lost prince.

The boy grew up to be a sharp young lad, and his uncle never cut his hair, for he knew it would take away the magic within him.

So in a tower in the middle of the forest, guarded by tall cliffs, there lived a young boy with brilliant white hair that would reach all the way to the ground from the top of the tower.

This is the tale of him.

The days in the tower were all the same. Mikeo knew each and every one of his books from cover to cover, could probably recite them even in his sleep. And he had a lot of books. Most of them were about history and different tales. When Mikleo wasn't reading, he was writing. He wrote all kinds of texts, speculations and conclusions that had popped into his head while reading his books.

Writing them on paper wasn't exactly satisfying, but at least it let him get them out of his head. He'd much rather discuss the texts with someone, but his only companion was his uncle Michael with his regular visits. And they were usually short, matter-of-fact, and uninterested. It was always Michael who did the talking, and most of it had to do with making sure that Mikleo knew how important it was to stick to his routines and let Michael know if something was weird or different.

So Mikleo read and wrote and stared out of the window, doing a whole lot of thinking. He took solace in the view from the top of his tower. The only thing that ever changed were the seasons. He could always see the same trees, the same little stream and the same cliffs around him, hiding his tower from the outside world. Oh, how he wondered what lay beyond them.

It had been like this for as long as Mikleo could remember. Him and the tower, first uncle Michael raising him there and then moving out when he was old enough, only to pay him a short visit when he could. Occasionally he'd bring a new book, and Mikleo would get lost in it for the next day or two, depending on how thick it was. And sooner or later, he'd know the new book by heart, too.

Uncle Michael had taught him that the outside world wasn't for him, but he still wished he could go outside and explore some ancient ruins. Or even just to see some from his window and be able to observe them from afar, trying to find out the secrets that they held.

"Mikleo, let down your hair!" That was his cue. It was uncle Michael, who always greeted him with that sentence, urging him to get to the window so his uncle could climb the tower with the help of his long hair.

Mikleo complied. His uncle didn't like waiting, always scolding him when he took too long getting to the window.

Mikleo grabbed the end of his ponytail, wrapping the length of his hair around the hook by the window and throwing it out of the window with one graceful move, like he had done countless times before.

And soon enough uncle Michael had hoisted himself up and was standing right there in front of Mikleo.

"Well done, Mikleo. As always. You really are so good at that." Michael's smile was exaggerated.

"It's nothing." Mikleo tugged his hair away from the hook and pulled it back inside, moving to clean up his books and writings from his desk, mostly just looking for something to distract himself with while Michael was there.

"I trust everything is well in here? Nothing unusual?" Gloves were peeled off, a cloak hung on the rack beside the window.

"Everything is as usual," Mikleo paused. "Well. There's- there's one thing, you know." Oh, how he hated himself for stuttering like that. But his uncle was looking at him so sternly now, almost making him regret mentioning anything at all.

"Hm?" A simple, dismissive reply. It was like his uncle wasn't actually interested at all, but he was looking at Mikleo with a frown. Michael hated it when anything strayed from routines.

"My birthday's coming up." Mikleo didn't mean to blurt it out like that, but it was probably for the best. His uncle had a tendency to get rather cross whenever he felt like Mikleo was blabbering.

"No, no, no, can't be." His uncle's smile turned into a grin while he made his way to a chair and sat down. "I distinctly remember. Your birthday was last year."

He was playing with him, of course. Mikleo had always thought his uncle's sense of humor was rather strange. Why something like this amused him so greatly, Mikleo could never imagine. It was like Michael wanted him to feel like he considered Mikleo to be rather simple. Which he really wasn't, and they both knew it.

"Well, that's the funny thing about birthdays. They're kind of an annual thing." He'd play along a little, just for now. There was a point to this conversation, after all. It wouldn't do him any good if he'd annoy his uncle now.

"Uncle, I…" Mikleo sat down on a chair across Michael, threading his fingers through his own hair. "My point was, and I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I thought, since I'm turning eighteen in a few days, I just wanted to ask-"

"Mikleo."

"Yes?"

"Stop with the blabbering. You know I hate it."

Great, now he really was annoyed. But Mikleo had started already, so there was nothing else left for him to do than just come out with it.

"I want to see ruins."

"What?" On Michael's face was the most incredulous look he had ever given Mikleo.

"I was hoping you would take me to see some ruins," Mikleo explained.

This earned him a snort.

"You want to go outside?" Michael didn't wait for a reply, however; instead he got up from his chair and started pacing around the room, starting to rant.

"And ruins? For what purpose? Actually, where have you even gotten into your little head the idea that there are any ruins around here?" Michael dragged a hand across his face. "I knew I shouldn't have brought you all those books. I knew it, knew you'd get some stupid ideas."

Well. Mikleo certainly hadn't expected this level of defensiveness. He was at a loss, not sure how to respond to his uncle's words. But he didn't have to, since Michael kept on talking and pacing, agitated.

"Mikleo, you know what I have taught you ever since you were a child. Your place is here, nowhere else. I have given my everything to keep you happy, I have given you all of these-" He gestured towards the tall bookshelves lined up against the walls, filled with books. "I have kept you safe, fed you. And this is how you repay me? You know the most important rule, Mikleo. Why would you ask to go outside?"

Now Mikleo really did regret saying anything. This couldn't have gone any worse.

"Uncle, I'm sorry. Just forget it, I-"

But Michael wouldn't drop it just yet, stepping right in front of Mikleo before he even realized it and grabbing his chin, making him look up at his uncle's face.

"What's the most important rule, Mikleo?" His eyes were dark.

"I said I'm sorry, forget I said anything." But the hold on his chin tightened. Michael was absolutely livid.

"What is the number one rule?" He repeated, putting emphasis on each of the words.

"Don't ever leave the tower."

Michael let go of him.

"Good." He stepped away from Mikleo and made his way to the window. His gaze was fixed on the view, and he was frowning, looking like he held a grudge to the scenery for trying to tempt Mikleo away like that. Mikleo still couldn't find anything to say.

For a moment they were both silent, Mikleo staring at Michael, who was staring out of the window.

"The world is a dangerous place, Mikleo. I just need you to understand that. If you go outside, you'll be hunted, taken advantage of, even killed. I just want to protect you. Please don't ever think of leaving this tower again. It won't happen."

A pause. "Right. I understand, uncle."

The disappointment hit Mikleo hard right then, but he didn't dare show it. He hadn't imagined his uncle's reaction would be so severe. Michael wasn't usually so harsh, but he had always put an emphasis on the fact that Mikleo wasn't to leave the tower. He should've known his request would be received like this.

"You know I only want what's best for you."

"Yes, uncle." Mikleo felt defeated. For years he had been thinking about this, planning to ask his uncle. And now that he had finally dared to do it - one's 18th birthday was a special occasion after all - he had been completely shot down.

Michael was talking again, but Mikleo wasn't listening anymore, allowing himself to stare right ahead of him, lost in thought. It had been his dream, to go and explore ancient ruins, and now he would never achieve it. Surely the world wouldn't be so dangerous if he just went with his uncle? But Mikleo knew that Michael wouldn't have it, so he kept silent.

Michael's stern look had turned into a smile, and he was in front of Mikleo again. Mikleo looked up at him as Michael grabbed a strand of his white hair, caressing it. "You're very dear to me, you know?"

"You too, uncle." Sometimes Michael got all weird like this. Mikleo just prayed he wouldn't sniff his hair right now, like he sometimes did. It really weirded him out.

"I'm afraid I must go now." Michael said after he'd fondled Mikleo's hair for a while. He went to put on his cloak.

Mikleo got up from his chair. Then he wrapped his hair around the hook again and threw the length of it out of the window for his uncle to use.

"I'll come back on your birthday."

"But that's three days away." Michael usually came by the tower every day, so Mikleo was surprised to hear that he was planning to leave him alone for so long. He could handle himself in the tower, sure, but going away for so long was highly uncharacteristic of his uncle.

"I know. I'm planning to get something special for your birthday," Michael winked. Mikleo wondered if he felt bad about yelling at him, but he wasn't opposed to getting a cool birthday present to make up for it. Maybe Michael was planning to get him some rare tome… That would certainly ease his disappointment for a long while.

Michael pulled him into a hug, which Mikleo sluggishly returned. "Now be a good boy while I'm gone."

"Yes, uncle." Michael pulled away and got on the windowsill, grabbing the hair hanging from the hook. And just like that he was gone from Mikleo's sight, climbing down the wall of the tower. Mikleo's tower, which Mikleo could never leave.

Sorey didn't know where it all went so wrong.

One moment he and Rose were wandering the ancient temple, awestruck by the marvelous carvings and designs, and the next they were being chased by angry thugs who were yelling something about thieves and betrayals. Sorey really didn't understand a thing.

What's worse, somewhere along trying to find a route outside he and Rose got separated. And now here he was, alone in the middle of the forest with a painful cut on his arm (how the thug had managed to hit him, he really didn't know). He wasn't even sure if anyone was still chasing him, but he thought he had still heard angry yelling just a little while ago. So he kept running.

He knew he had to find a place to hide and patch himself up. Sadly, the forest suddenly seemed devoid of any caves, or fallen trees, even big rocks. And Sorey could feel himself getting tired. But now he could clearly hear the thugs cursing nearby again. They had caught up to him.

Sorey couldn't help it; he had to stop. His lungs felt like they were on fire, sweat was rolling down his face and the cut on his arm was throbbing painfully. How deep was it? He leaned against a cliff covered in ivy, planning on staying there for just a second to catch his breath.

Except instead of leaning on it, he hit the ground like a log. Confused, Sorey looked around from his position on the ground. It seemed like the ivy had hidden an entrance to a cave. And it was a perfect little cavern; the thugs would surely miss it. Grinning at his good luck, Sorey got up and decided to head deeper into the cave, just in case.

It turned out that the cave did not go on for very long; Sorey could soon see the bright sunlight again. Now he was curious, his wound completely forgotten for a moment. Where did the cave lead to?

Sorey headed towards the exit at an increasing pace, and when he finally reached it, his eyes went wide.

"Wow."

He was greeted with a picture-perfect scenery. A perfect little waterfall, leading to a clear stream. Colorful wildflowers, vibrant green bushes and trees. And in the middle of it all, a tower. Sorey stared at it. What was it for? Who had built it?

Sorey felt drawn towards the tower. If he could just get in there, maybe he could find out more about it. Was it old? Probably not as old as the ruins he usually explored, although it was covered with vines and certainly not brand new.

Much to his disappointment, the small entrance at the base of the tower was sealed shut with bricks. But such little misfortunes could never hold Sorey back; he was an adventurer, after all. And he took pride in always finding a way to enter the places he wanted to. Sorey peered up at the top of the tower. There was a large window that seemed to be open. Now he just hoped that whatever was inside hadn't been ruined by bad weather.

Getting up to the window would be the tricky part. Sorey was no shabby climber, but the bricks on the tower didn't exactly look like they offered the ideal places to get a grip on. Still, he wouldn't turn back now. It would certainly be a challenge, but he'd just have to extra careful. He'd get there.

Less thinking, more climbing, Sorey thought and grabbed a brick that was right above his eye level and jutted out just a little, beginning his climb.

It was the slowest climb he had ever had. It took everything Sorey had to keep himself from slipping. His heart was pounding, his fingers felt like they were on fire and the cut on his arm had started throbbing painfully again. He hoped he'd find something to help him patch that up inside the tower.

Sorey was breathing hard, muttering under his breath. He was almost at the top and the bricks felt increasingly slippery. He couldn't fall now, it would be a miserable and embarrassing ending to his life as an adventurer. And it would all be for a mysterious tower that barely even predated the most grand buildings in the kingdom. Rose would scold him for dying like that.

Scrambling, Sorey finally got to the window, sitting on the windowsill.

"Whew!"

He was certainly adventuring now. The view from the top was spectacular and the rush of adrenaline felt amazing, making Sorey laugh a little to himself. Finally at the top, safe and sound! Rose would be proud.

Rose. Sorey would have to find her again soon. There weren't many things he did without his friend, but he knew they'd both be alright on their own for a little while. Rose was definitely tougher than him. First he'd tend to his arm, then snoop around the tower a little. After that he could look for Rose. He had a hunch about her whereabouts, anyway.

Enough reflecting. He had reached the top of the tower and the room inside was calling him. He got inside, giddy, thinking about what he would find there.

It was rather dark inside. Which wasn't a surprise, really, since the only source of light was the open window he'd just crawled in from.

But before Sorey could find any additional windows, he realized the place didn't look abandoned at all.

On the contrary, really. It looked very much lived in.

The fireplace had embers, and there was not a hint of dust anywhere. Sorey gasped when his eyes registered the huge bookcases lining up the walls, filled with books, but he didn't have time to properly get excited about all of these books, because then he was greeted with hair.

Sorey's eyes went wide. What he saw was bright white hair with blue tips. And there was a lot of it. His eyes followed it and it went on and on and on, until he finally laid his eyes on the owner of it all. He couldn't see very well, though, thanks to the lack of light in the room. He squinted.

It seemed like the person before him was a young man, about the same age as Sorey himself. He was holding a stick of some sort, and all Sorey could really tell about his other features was that he wasn't a very big person.

Hopefully that meant Sorey wouldn't get flogged.

"Uh…" But before Sorey could come up with actual words to say, the boy stepped forward. The light from the window hit him, allowing Sorey to see him better.

And that was when Sorey stopped breathing.

The look on the boy's face was stern and displeased, but Sorey could only focus on the brilliant amethyst eyes looking at him with such fire in them. They weren't quite angry - no, it was nothing that simple. Sorey could only tell there was a whole lot of emotion in them.

The stranger's skin was fair. Like porcelain or snow, Sorey thought. White hair framed his face perfectly. Surely this was what angels looked like.

Sorey had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life.

For a while they stared at one another. Sorey really couldn't tell what the other was thinking about, but his own mind was racing. Who was this person? Did he live in this tower all by himself? What was with the hair?

Then something jabbed him on the chest and he remember to breathe again. The stranger had armed himself with a broom and was pointing it at Sorey.

"I am not afraid of you," came the voice. It was lying, though, the waver in it giving its owner away. "Who are you and how did you find me?"

"Uh- what?"

"Who are you and how did you find me? What do you want with my hair?" the stranger was still pointing the broom at him, looking like he wasn't quite sure what to do with it. Sorey understood why the boy felt threatened, though. He had just broken into his home, after all, and he was armed with a sword. How was the stranger supposed to know he'd never use it on anything else than aggressive beasts lurking in the ruins he explored?

"Hey, look, I'm not going to hurt you." Sorey smiled gently, putting his hands up in surrender to prove his point and reassure the mysterious boy. The broom didn't go down, however, and the stranger kept eyeing him with suspicion.

"My name is Sorey," he offered. "I was being chased because… Well, it's kind of weird, but I stumbled upon your tower by accident, I swear! I didn't think anyone actually lived here. I'm sorry for breaking in."

Slowly, the broom was lowered, but the long-haired boy's eyes stayed on Sorey's, still questioning him. Sorey had no idea what to say now. Then the stranger looked at Sorey's arm and his face softened a little.

"You're injured."

"Wha- Oh! That's right, this-" Sorey looked at his arm. He had forgotten about the wound.

The boy in front of him looked conflicted, staring at the cut on Sorey's arm.

"I actually came here to see if there was anything that would help me treat this." That, and his endless curiosity. But he didn't need to say that one out loud right now.

"Yes… I'm sure there's something. I'll, uh, go and see if I can find anything."

Mikleo felt like an idiot, repeating his last words in his head. Real smooth. There's something. I'll see if I can find anything. Gah.

He didn't even know what had gotten into him. An intruder in his tower and here he was, planning to tend to his wounds instead of throwing him out like a rock without his hair to help him descend. But that boy… Sorey, he'd said, didn't look dangerous. He looked very kind, in fact.

Mikleo could feel himself blush when he thought of the smile Sorey had given him. What in the world had gotten into him? Just a few hours ago Michael was giving him the usual speech about the dangers of the outside world and mankind, yet here Mikleo was, his stomach fluttering at the thought of those bright green eyes that had just looked at him. It was absurd.

He'd almost given himself away, too. It would've been so simple to just use his magic to heal Sorey's arm, but he couldn't. Especially if the man was actually telling the truth and had no idea about Mikleo or his magical powers. No matter how harmless Sorey seemed, Michael's words echoed in Mikleo's head. The outside world was full of people who wanted to harm him and take advantage of his powers.

Was Sorey like that, too? He really didn't seem like it.

The only option Mikleo had was to try and help treat the wound by normal, non-magical means. Which he had never done before.

Why did he even want to help Sorey so bad? They didn't know a thing about each other, he hadn't even given Sorey his name yet. But there was something about him… Mikleo couldn't explain it. He felt drawn to him. He wanted to treat Sorey's wound. And if he had to do it without the help of his magical glowing hair, then so be it.

He emerged from his room, making his way back over to Sorey with an assortment of pieces of cloth to use as bandage, scissors and a basin of water. That's all he really had. But surely the cut couldn't be too deep, since Sorey seemed to be feeling alright? He had even climbed the tower.

Sorey, who was sitting on the floor, had taken off his overshirt, presumably to access the wound properly. Mikleo allowed himself to stare at his toned arms for a little while. Why did he find them so attractive? What was this? When the brunette saw that Mikleo was back, he gave him that smile again. Mikleo knelt down beside him, hoping that the restricted lightning in the room hid the blush on his face. He set down the things he was carrying and wasn't sure what to do next.

Luckily Sorey seemed to have an idea. He grabbed a piece of cloth, dunking it in the water and began cleaning up his arm. "Thanks."

Mikleo let out a small hum in reply, keeping his eyes on Sorey.

"You never told me your name, by the way." Sorey glanced up at him briefly, the smile still on his face.

"Oh. Right," Mikleo said with a nod. That had been rather rude of him, he supposed. "My name is Mikleo."

"Mikleo," Sorey repeated and grinned. "Nice to meet you, Mikleo."

That made Mikleo smile just a little. Truly, this had to be the weirdest encounter in his entire life. Not that he had any previous ones to compare it to, if the ones with uncle Michael were overlooked.

Sorey seemed keen on keeping the conversation going while he cleaned up his wound.

"So, what's with the hair?"

Mikleo paused before replying.

"Don't ask."

"Huh. Well, alright. What's with the tower then?"

"Don't ask."

"... Right." Sorey looked around the room, seeming a little bummed. Then his eyes lit up. "So, you read a lot?"

That certainly was a topic Mikleo could talk about until the end of the world.

"Yes, I do." He hoped that Sorey didn't interpret his short answers as unwillingness to talk. That couldn't be any further away from the truth. But he just didn't know what more to say.

"What's your favorite book?" Sorey had gotten to the point where he was trying to tie a bandage around the cleaned up wound, and he seemed to have great difficulties doing it with only one hand. Mikleo felt shy, wondering if he should help him with that.

"The Celestial Record," he answered instead. Then with a hint of pride he added, "I know it by heart, from cover to cover."

Sorey stopped his hopeless fumbling with the bandage at that, looking up at Mikleo with wide eyes and the most excited expression Mikleo could ever imagine on anyone.

"No way! That's my favorite, too!"

"Oh." Now Mikleo was smiling again, too. Sorey seemed to have this kind of effect on him.

That's when Mikleo decided to finally reach out and help Sorey with the bandage. He wrapped it around the other man's arm as many times as it would reach, then secured it with a tight knot. Hopefully that would be enough and the cut would heal neatly on its own.

"Thanks," Sorey said. "So, are you an adventurer, too? You know, since you like the Celestial Record so much? Oh, man, I remember reading it as a little boy and dreaming of exploring ruins and uncovering ancient secrets. And now here I am, doing just that for a living."

Mikleo blinked at that. That was exactly what he had done when he was younger, too. Only that it was still just a dream for him. And it would forever be just a dream. He paused. Or would it? Mikleo's mind started racing, and it took him a while to realize that Sorey was looking at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"Oh, I- no, I'm not an adventurer, but I…" This was crazy. Could he really say this? Would it be this easy? "I've always dreamed of going to explore some ruins."

And now he was here, with a friendly stranger who also happened to be a real adventurer, experienced in exploring ruins. And Michael was going to be gone for a couple of days. And Mikleo's 18th birthday was coming up.

"Oh? Well, if it's your dream, you definitely should do it sometime! Reading books is great, but it's another thing seeing all the marvelous details in person!"

"I've never left this tower," Mikleo blurted out.

"Huh?"

"I've been inside this tower my whole life. My uncle raised me here and I'm not allowed to leave."

"What?" The smile had disappeared from Sorey's face. Mikleo looked straight into his eyes, pleading.

"Would you take me to see some ruins?"

He must've been out of his mind. But if Michael wouldn't take him, maybe Sorey would. They didn't even know each other, but Sorey seemed like such a kind soul and Mikleo would hate himself for the rest of his life if he didn't at least try to seize this opportunity.

For a moment Sorey just stared at him, blinking. Then he spoke.

"Well, I could, I guess, but… your uncle, you said?"

"He'll be gone for the next two days. So we'll go to see some ruins, then I'll come back before he does and he'll be none the wiser." Mikleo was feeling determined now. This was what he wanted. His dream. He would make it happen.

"Right..." Sorey looked like he was still processing everything Mikleo had said. "I don't know. Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Sure it is! Please, I don't know if I'll ever get a chance like this again." Mikleo was ready to beg, if he had to. Then he had an idea. "Plus, it's my birthday in a couple of days."

"Your birthday?" Sorey looked perplexed. He seemed to ponder Mikleo's words for a moment. Finally he nodded, a grin appearing on his face. "Okay, I'll take you to some ruins if you want to. It's your dream after all."

Mikleo grinned. His dream would come true.

Leaving had seemed much easier in Mikleo's head. There he was, standing on his windowsill with his hair hanging from the hook again. He was clinging to it. Sorey had already made his way down with the help of it, commenting on how amazing and surreal it was. Mikleo had never thought of his hair that way, but Sorey's awed comments had made it clear that having a ponytail that reached down to the ground from the top of a high tower was definitely not considered normal in the outside world.

"You alright?" Sorey shouted up at him.

"Yes, just. Give me a moment." He replied.

He thought of his uncle, and all his warnings. He thought about how this tower was the only thing he really knew and about how this was the place he belonged. That was what Michael always told him, yet somehow it felt like a complete lie.

But he'd come back. Michael would never find out. It was alright. So he grabbed his hair even tighter and jumped.

Again, Sorey's breath was taken away by the sight in front of him.

Just a while ago, he had climbed down from the tower with the help of Mikleo's hair. That itself was already incredible, but when Mikleo himself jumped down, Sorey was gawking.

He could swear that at that moment, time slowed down. Mikleo was falling, but he was controlling the fall, his grip on his hair tight. The bright white locks around his face were fluttering in the breeze and he wore the most concentrated expression. Sorey never wanted to look away.

But way too soon, the moment was over and Mikleo was on the ground too. He was staring down at his boots. Then he lifted his gaze and looked at Sorey. He looked so lost and it made Sorey's heart ache. He shot Mikleo his most reassuring smile.

"You alright?" He asked again. If Mikleo had really spent his entire life inside that tower, he must have felt so torn right in that moment, Sorey thought.

Mikleo returned his smile and nodded.

"I'm just feeling a little… Weird." He admitted.

"I understand." Sorey couldn't come up with anything else to say. He didn't want to rush Mikleo when he obviously needed a moment, but if they were actually going to explore some ruins and be back well before Mikleo risked getting caught, they ought to get a move on. Luckily Mikleo seemed to be aware of that as well.

"We can go."

So they started walking. Sorey was wondering where he'd actually take Mikleo. He wasn't sure it was a good idea to take him anywhere he himself hadn't been before, just in case. He was completely inexperienced, after all. And they didn't have many days to spare, either. So he settled on an old favorite: an old temple of sorts, quite near the town. He had been there many times with Rose, so the place was pretty much picked clean, but he could give Mikleo the experience, at least. And it would be safe. Sorey didn't want to put Mikleo in danger.

Oh right, Rose. How could he forget about Rose? They'd have to go and find her, first. Sorey couldn't just abandon his adventuring partner to go wandering around with the most beautiful human being he'd ever laid eyes on. Not that he didn't kind of want to do that. Just the two of them, alone in an abandoned temple…

Wait, what?

"I forgot to tell you something," Sorey sputtered, and Mikleo turned to look at him expectantly. "I have this friend, Rose. We always explore ruins together, but we got separated earlier. Is it alright if we go find her first?"

"Oh." Something changed in Mikleo's expression, but Sorey couldn't really place it. "Yes, that's fine."

"I think I already know where she is, so it won't take away any time from exploring, I swear!"

Mikleo nodded and smiled at Sorey briefly. Sorey returned the smile with a grin and began leading them towards The Snuggly Duckling.

Michael felt bad for yelling at Mikleo earlier, he really did. And he just couldn't bring himself to leave him alone for such a long time when his last visit had been like that. So he decided to visit his dear nephew a second time that day, maybe cook something for him to make amends.

But when his usual greeting wasn't met with white hair being thrown out of the window, he knew something was different.

And something being different could only mean something was wrong.

"Mikleo!" he yelled so hard his throat felt dry, praying the boy was just asleep, even though the dread inside him grew with each passing second.

Mikleo had to be in there. If he wasn't, everything was ruined. He'd be recognised out there. He'd be taken away from him. Michael wouldn't be in control of his powers anymore. Michael would be found out and they'd hang him.

Michael ran to the sealed entrance and began tearing at the bricks with all he had. He was filled with panic and rage, and those gave him the strength to open up the entrance. By the time he was finished, his fingers were bruised and bloody, but he didn't even notice, rushing inside the tower.

The room at the top was dark and empty. Mikleo's room was empty. The closets were empty. Michael's greatest fear had come true.

Mikleo was gone.

Mikleo still had a lump in his throat when they arrived in front of The Snuggly Duckling, but he didn't really know what to do about it. He didn't want to bother Sorey since he was already being so kind to Mikleo by agreeing to help him when he really didn't have to.

"So, I think I need to warn you about this place." Sorey began, smiling sheepishly. "Sure, the name is all cute, but don't let it fool you! It's kind of a dump. Don't expect it to be actually snuggly, you'll be horribly disappointed and potentially horrified. Trust me, I speak from experience. Also, there are no ducklings."

Sorey was making the cutest pouty face ever, and Mikleo could feel himself relaxing a little despite himself. He chuckled.

"Thanks for the warning."

"No problem!" The smile was back. "Why Rose hangs out here, I'll never know."

With that, Sorey opened the door and they got inside.

He really hadn't been exaggerating. The smell was so bad Mikleo felt like he could faint from it. The place seemed extremely unsanitary. It was filled with men. Thugs, he supposed, exactly the kind of people his uncle had always warned him about. But Mikleo was with Sorey, so he didn't have to fear anything, right?

Sorey had gathered up Mikleo's hair so he could close the door behind them. It was kind of a funny sight, his companion standing there with his arms full of white-blue hair, looking around the tavern. Presumably to see if this friend of his was actually there. Mikleo looked around, too, despite the fact that he couldn't possibly recognise Sorey's friend even if she was present.

Their line of sight was soon blocked, though. By a shirtless man. Mikleo's eyes went wide and he took a step back, trying to get closer to Sorey.

"That's a lot of hair," the shirtless man said, grinning at Mikleo. Mikleo didn't know how he was supposed to react. Did this man want his hair?

"Yeah, I suppose it is," Sorey said, and Mikleo was relieved he didn't have to answer. "Uh, Zaveid, could you move, please? I'm trying to see if Rose is here."

"Only if you introduce me to your friend here, first." The grin of the man's face grew even larger and Mikleo could feel himself starting to hate him a little. Sorey sighed.

"Fine. Zaveid, this is Mikleo. Mikleo, this is Zaveid. Now please move!" Sorey finally let go of Mikleo's hair, setting it all down on the floor. Mikleo flinched at the thought of his hair touching that filthy surface, but he didn't really want to carry it around, either.

The man called Zaveid stepped aside with a laugh and strolled back to a table he seemed to be sharing with a blonde man. Mikleo didn't want to know how Sorey knew this man.

"So, Rose… Let's just have a look around," Sorey said. They walked away from the door, deeper into the tavern. Mikleo observed the patrons carefully. Most of them seemed indeed to be the sort Michael was always warning him about. But there were also people who looked completely normal, and that eased his mind a little. Surely nothing bad would happen to him here, since he wasn't even alone.

"There!" Sorey's exclamation made Mikleo jump a little, and then the brunette was grabbing his hand, pulling him towards one table. Sorey's hand was warm and soft. Mikleo could feel his face heating up again.

"Rose!" Luckily Sorey seemed to be completely oblivious to his reaction, focusing on the red-haired girl in front of them.

"Sorey! I was wondering when you'd get your ass down here!" The girl's eyes moved to Mikleo, then to their joined hands. Oh. Sorey was still holding his hand. Rose smiled up at Mikleo. "Who's your friend?"

Sorey seemed to catch himself then, jumping a little and finally letting go of Mikleo's hand. Mikleo felt a little disappointed.

"Rose, this is Mikleo! It's, uh, kind of a long story, but we're going exploring with him!"

"We are?" Rose seemed genuinely surprised, her eyebrows rising. "Well, why don't you two sit down for a while and let me in on that long story."

Sorey shrugged and sat down across Rose. Mikleo took the chair next to him, trying to gather up his hair on the floor next to him to keep it from getting trampled by dozens of dirty boots.

"So," Rose started, dragging out the syllable. "What's with the hair?"

Mikleo turned to look at Rose, but Sorey was quicker to speak.

"No, Rose! You can't ask about the hair!"

"Aww, why not?" Rose frowned.

"How about I just tell you about the agreement Mikleo and I have here?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Fine."

And so Sorey explained their plan to Rose, in a slightly persuasive tone. Judging by the look on her face, Rose didn't seem too pleased with his plan.

"Are you sure about this, Sorey?" Then she turned to Mikleo. "No offense."

"Yes, I'm sure! I already promised, and I'm not going to break it." Sorey paused. "Besides, it's Mikleo's birthday in a couple of days!"

The pleading look on Sorey's face must have had some kind of effect on Rose, since she just sighed and nodded.

"Alright." Rose turned to Mikleo, a slight smile appearing on her lips. "So, Mikleo. What's your reason for wanting to explore ruins? Are you a huge nerd like Sorey here-"

"Hey!"

"-or do you perhaps have a more practical goal? Say, something like… the potential profits?"

Mikleo blinked. "Profits?"

"Rose, you're making us look bad!" Sorey cried out. "We're not looters or anything like that! We respect the history!"

Sorey was being cute again. Rose just laughed. "Calm down, Sorey. I'm sure he understands. You see, Mikleo, I know history is grand and all that jazz. So sometimes Sorey and I go and recover some coveted artifacts and such. Then we go and give them to museums for study and safekeeping, and usually they are very thankful for them. Then a reward is in order. Sometimes not all of the artifacts are wanted and we get to keep some of them. Meaning, we get to sell them to happy collectors. Everybody wins."

Sorey looked displeased. Mikleo shrugged. Frankly, it all seemed a little barbaric to him, treating ancient artifacts like that, but he wanted to stay on Rose's good side. "Well, I mean, if that's how it works, then…"

Rose raised her pint at Mikleo in a toast. "That, my friend, certainly is how it works."

"By the way, Rose, why-" Sorey began to speak again, but he was interrupted by a loud, roaring yell which made Mikleo jump and the whole tavern seem like it was shaking with the force of it. In the table next to them, someone threw a glass on the ground, smashing it.

"Oh, great," Rose mumbled, then looked at Mikleo. "Get under the table."

"What?" But Rose had already slipped away from her own chair. Mikleo looked at Sorey, who grabbed his hand again, pulling Mikleo under the table with him.

"What's going on?" Mikleo asked, looking at Rose, then back to Sorey, then at Rose again.

"A good ol' barfight," Rose explained. "Except it's not so good. Come on."

With a wave of her hand, Rose started crawling towards something. Sorey gathered some of Mikleo's hair in his arms again and nodded at him.

"Follow her."

Mikleo started crawling after Rose. His eyes were wide as he looked around the tavern from his position on the floor. It was complete chaos. Glasses were flying around and people were yelling, most of them taking swings at one another, sometimes even hitting. Drinks were spilled on the ground. He just hoped none of them would hit him. Smelling like ale didn't sound like an experience he was itching to have.

Mikleo looked behind him. Sorey was there, looking a little comical, trying to crawl forward while holding a bunch of hair with one arm. Mikleo couldn't keep himself from smiling. Sorey noticed he was looking at him with a grin on his face and he returned the smile.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of crawling on the dirty tavern floor, the three of them were relatively safe behind the bar counter. But the way to the door was blocked by dozens of fighting thugs, and it didn't seem like the fighting was going to die down anytime soon.

"What now?" Mikleo had to yell to get Sorey and Rose to hear his voice. Rose responded with a grin. She got up and pulled on one of the beer taps on the bar.

And just like that, a secret hatch opened before them. Sorey got up and pulled Mikleo with him.

"Come on, let's go!"

The three of them disappeared into the secret tunnel, leaving the noise of the tavern behind them.