Chapter 4

I don't know how much time passes where we stand there holding each other. Mo is finally the first to break away from the embrace and take a step back.

Immediately, I feel like something is missing, and I would love to escape back into his arm. I miss that carefree feeling I had for a moment. I miss that warmth and the feeling of his strong arms around me.

Just thinking about it makes my heart beat faster, and I feel my face start to glow. I'm blushing. Okay, what's going on now? I think Mo's gaze moves over my body, and it intensifies the blush on my face and triggers a strange flutter in my stomach.

Finally, a smile settles on his handsome face, and he crosses his arms in front of his chest—a typical Mo gesture. A smile settles on my lips as I remember that he used to do that all the time before and still hasn't gotten out of the habit, I guess.

"I can't believe it. You're standing in front of me again after all these years." His voice sounds neutral, so it's hard for me to gauge whether he's angry, happy, disappointed, or relieved.

This thought drives away the smile on my face and makes me nervous again. Maybe that hug was just out of surprise. And when, please, did he learn to hide like that with the people who know him? Well, what do I know? What do I know about what has happened in the last few years?

I don't know what to say, so I choose to apologize. I probably can't go wrong with that. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I left without a goodbye, and now I'm showing up after so long. I didn't know it would be the last time. I didn't want to leave you alone, especially during the hard time you must have had. Please forgive me."

Towards the end, my voice becomes more pleading and breaks as tears well up in my eyes. I know it's not my fault that I couldn't come more and leave them alone. And yet I feel a great need to apologize. I realize how important it is that neither Mo nor Yuko is angry with me.

Mo's features soften, and he unfastens his folded arms. The prince bridges the distance between us and reassuringly puts a hand on my arm. "It's all right, Mia. You have nothing to apologize for. The main thing is that you're back here, and you're fine. And it's not your fault. Least of all, for what happened here. Even you couldn't have prevented it." Deep sadness shines in his eyes again at his last words, and his posture becomes tenser.

However, I'm still stuck on the words before. Am I fine? What did they think happened to me? Apart from the fact that it's so not true, no one can know that.

A cold shiver runs down my spine at the thought of my life outside Centopia, but I repress it. I don't want to worry about Eric and everything connected with him here, too. There seems to be a completely different problem here.

Carefully and also a little hesitantly, I put my hand on his and look into those familiar and, at the same time, now so strange eyes. "What happened here, Mo? Why does Centopia look like this now? When I left, everything was still fine. So what's with that sword? And where are Yuko and Onchao anyway?"

I'm addressing. Why the beautiful Centopia we all fought for so long suddenly seems destroyed. Why Mo has a sword. And why he's not with Yuko and Onchao. It's a thought I've never dared to think before. What if something happens to them? The idea makes me tremble, and as Mo's eyes grow a shade sadder, everything inside me tightens, and horror spreads through me. No, nothing must have happened to them!

He seems to look at my horror, then Mo quickly shakes his head and lightly squeezes my arm. "No, don't worry about it. They are both fine and are in the palace for Onchao's protection. We'll explain what's going on to you, but not in this place. It's not safe here. It's best to fly to the palace. It's safer there."

Relief spreads through me as I realize they are both okay. But then it hits me what he said. Onchao is in danger again? And what did he mean it's safer in the palace? Why is it no longer entirely safe even there?

Mo squeezes my arm once more, gives me a small smile, and turns to go to his sword, which is two meters away. I didn't even notice that he dropped it before hugging me. I follow him hesitantly. "Onchao is in danger?"

I hear a soft sigh from Mo as he bends down, picks up the sword, and tucks it into the golden belt around his waist. Then he turns to me with a severe face. "It's not just him. We should get out of here before we attract any more unwanted attention. Can you still fly?"

Not just him? Unwanted attention? From whom? More and more questions pop into my head, and I don't have an answer to any of them. Except for Mo's last question, I don't know. Maybe it's like riding a bike? You don't unlearn it. However, I don't want to have another crash landing either.

I give him a wry grin. "With a little help, I'm sure." His response is a smile and an outstretched hand, which I gladly and gratefully accept. I give him a quick nod as a sign that I'm ready, and together we push ourselves off the ground.

Immediately, I feel as if I've never been there. The wind strokes through my hair, and Mo's hand in mine gives me that familiar feeling of safety and freedom.

This feeling evaporates, however, when I look down. We are flying above the treetops by now, so I have a good view of the destruction below us. Sadness, horror, and anger spread through me. Who has done this? And why?

I look briefly at Mo. The prince seems around attentively as if he expects to be attacked at any moment. And for what feels like the hundredth time, I ask myself the question, by what. "Mo, are you all right?" So I ask quietly, knowing that I probably won't get any answers to my questions.

He turns to me and smiles at me, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, it's fine." I know he is hiding something from me, but I don't say anything else.

And that silence stays the rest of the way, just like my hand in his and that we fly over withered forests and destroyed meadows.