1 The King's Harem Court

Sounds of flipping pages echoed in the dark room. A single flashlight beam could be found in the dark, but the light it gave off was nothing strong. It was even flickering as if the battery was running out. When the hand made another flip of the page, the person holding the book and the flashlight flinched.

"It's here…" he murmured against the flashlight clamped between his lips. He did his best to read through the low light, his finger guiding his eyes. The printed letters were different from what they were using now, but he learned how to read the books of the dream age.

"What is this? I don't think I have ever seen this anywhere…" The person hummed as he burned the image in his memory. However, before he could read more, the flashlight already died.

In the darkness, the other person didn't panic. He only sighed as if it was a normal happening. He got up and carefully closed the book and held the flashlight properly. Steps echoed along the metal floor as he moved to retrace his steps in the dark room. A metal door creaked as its bottom screeched against the floor, but the person didn't mind. He just ignored the sound and pushed it to a close again.

Outside the room was a long hallway leading to another door. However, the roof and the walls were peppered with holes and sunlight piercing through. He held a hand to cover his eyes as if needing time to readjust his vision, letting it transition from low light to the stark light of the sun. Soon, he just worked on slipping the book and the flashlight inside the spacious satchel on his body.

With the brown bag, white shirt, and orange jumpsuit tied by the waist; no one would mistake Kanaru as a prince. However, whenever he looked out of the tower he climbed, he could see the decline his country was suffering from. The stark sun had drained all the water, and the rains were yet to return.

The tower had sunk to a hundred meters from the ground, but it was already enough to see the entirety of Burdett above ground. Most of its people began burrowing underground to save themselves from the growing heat. Even if they lived close to the forbidden lands, the temperature still rose the longer they stayed. He didn't want to think that they would have to leave this place behind as well.

Just as how the rest of the lesser countries moved on.

"Kanaru!" A voice called from the side, and Kanaru turned to find someone flying a few meters above the peak of the tower. The other man shared the same light coffee brown color of Kanaru's hair, as well as his almost golden eyes. However, the man looked older and more built than him. 

When the other man decided to perch on the huge dish on top of the tower, Kanaru yelped and jumped into the air. His wings shot out of his shirt with an open back. "Covey! No, don't! Your descent will break it! Please don't!"

"Kanaru?" The man called Covey looked up and only hovered before flying toward where Kanaru was. "There you are. Mother and Father are looking for you. Shouldn't you have returned hours ago? You've been gone for almost the whole day. Let's go home."

"All right. Sorry about that." Kanaru nodded and laid a last look at the tower before flying with Covey. They flapped their wings and dove toward Burdett, away from the sun.

…

The country of Burdett ran on monarchy, just as mostly every lesser country in the world. When the digital age came to a close in an instant, most humans were wiped out by the monsters that rose from the earth. Survivors ran to the edges of the world away from the sun and settled in small groups until they moved closer to create newer countries. That was also the time when the first beasts were born.

Burdett was run by the Burdett family for more than seventy years now. As it rested at the perfect spot between the scorching sun and the freezing oceans, Burdett held on longer than the rest. However, with food and water supplies running scarce, the current king risked downsizing until no one was left.

Kanaru had seen more and more of their people taking risky travels to find more stable countries to live in. However, no matter how much he urged people to write back to them, only a handful could send someone to give the good news. After all, everyone just wanted to find a better place. Even if Kanaru's family would have to stay in Burdett until its complete decline, at least their people were safe.

From the sky, they saw another caravan setting out into the dangerous paths of forever night. Based on what the old books said, the world used to spin so every place grows hot and cold equally. However, since the disaster, one half was left to be roasted while the other was stuck to the frost. Then again, the dark places were more suitable to live in.

"They're going to venture out again, but this time… we can't send any soldier with them anymore," Covey spoke as if he knew his brother could hear him over the rushing wind against their ears. "No one wanted to risk other people's lives—not even the commander. Without the others sending letters, none of us would know if there were other countries nearby."

"…I'll go with them. I need to look for my materials." Kanaru hugged the satchel as if protecting it from their flight. "If I find another tower like the one nearby, I can take components from it. I can make it run again. We might be able to find something worth the favors."

Covey glanced at his brother. However, he focused more on descending first. When Kanaru folded his wings behind him as well, Covey took another look at his brother. At times when the other children would beautify themselves to be of the highest monarch's service, this brother of his kept on getting disheveled more and more.

Then again, whenever he glanced at the tower far away, he could only sigh. "Kanaru, what kind of reward are you hoping to get? That tower is so dilapidated. What can you get out of it?"

"Communication." Kanaru smiled as he combed his short fluffy hair with his hand. "If I figure out how to fix the communication towers all around the world, maybe King Fenris will gift us enough resources to last a lifetime."

"…that will only happen if you serve him for a lifetime. Everyone else already tried other ways. King Fenris never liked other things aside from servants." Covey sighed as he ruffled his own hair. "Let's get the matron to clean your wings again. Mother might want you to present yourself to the ambassadors when they come by in three days the soonest.

"By then, you need to make them consider you for the king's harem court."