Zane groaned, pulling the blanket over his head. Normally, he would’ve ignored it like he always did. But his shadow wasn’t letting him off this time—it spun in dizzying circles on the floor, bouncing across the walls like an excitable child trying to wake him up.
"Alright, alright!" Zane sat up, hair sticking in all directions. "Do you even rest? Seriously..."
The shadow froze mid-spin, then crossed its arms as if pouting.
Another knock followed.
"Prince Zane," a maid’s nervous voice came through the door. "Your parents are calling you."
Zane rubbed his eyes. His parents hadn’t called for him in... years. He almost laughed. "Heh. Figures. The one day I get a system, everyone suddenly remembers I exist."
Still, for once, he swung his legs off the bed. His bare feet touched the cold floor, and he walked toward the door in nothing but his wrinkled pajamas.
The handle turned. The door creaked open.
For the first time in two years, sunlight poured into his room.
Zane froze, blinded for a moment. The light stung, warm and golden, wrapping his pale skin like an unfamiliar embrace. His chest tightened. Two years locked in shadow, and now... this.
"...Huh," he muttered, squinting against the glow. "Still bright as ever."
The maid who had been waiting outside gasped at the sight of him. She covered her mouth with trembling hands before turning and sprinting down the hall.
"The prince! The prince is out! He’s coming to the dining hall!"
Zane scratched his messy head, watching her go. "...That’s dramatic."
His shadow waved at him, urging him forward.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Zane sighed. "Let’s see what the big reunion looks like."
And for the first time in years, Zane stepped into the sunlight.