The moon hung heavy and full over the southern woods, casting silver beams through the swaying branches. The air was fragrant with blooming wildflowers and the faint scent of damp earth. Leaves rustled gently, a lullaby whispered by the wind.

Seo Changbin crouched low, brushing away a tangle of vines, his heart thudding with exhilaration. He glanced over his shoulder, the towering palace walls barely visible through the thick trees. He had made it out - again.

A smirk played on his lips. The thrill of sneaking away never got old. Out here, he wasn't Prince Seo Changbin, the heir wrapped in silk and obligation. He was just... Changbin - a boy without mother, a boy who loved the wildness of nature more than the suffocating formality of his life.

"You are not free to be whoever you want, Changbin. You are a prince. Act like it." He clenched his fists, his father's parting words from that morning still burning in his ears.

Every day in the palace felt like a performance. Smile here, bow there, wear the mask of a perfect royal son. But he wasn't perfect. He hated the way his father's cold, stern eyes followed his every move, judging him for not being the ideal prince he was supposed to be. Sometimes, Changbin wondered if his father even saw him - the real him - or if he was just another pawn in the kingdom's endless game of politics.

Out here, in the southern woods, he could breathe. He could be free.

He took a deep breath and stepped forward, his boots sinking into the soft moss. The path ahead shimmered with moonlight, leading him to his favorite place: the lake. The water was like liquid glass, reflecting the night sky in perfect clarity. It was beautiful, untouched, untainted. He could lose himself here, let the world's weight fall off his shoulders.

But tonight, something felt different. He paused, narrowing his eyes.

A figure sat at the water's edge, the moon casting a pale glow on broad shoulders and tousled hair. The stranger's back was to him, but the calm, rigid posture was unmistakable.

Changbin's pulse quickened. Who's there? He wasn't supposed to run into anyone here. He crept forward silently, squinting through the shadows. The figure shifted slightly, and the silver edge of a blade glinted in his hand.

A cold chill ran down Changbin's spine. A ghost? A demon? His breath caught, his imagination spinning wild tales. He stumbled back, a twig snapping under his boot.

The figure whipped around instantly, the blade raised defensively.

"Who's there?" the stranger demanded, his voice low and rough.

Changbin froze. Moonlight washed over the man's face, revealing sharp, irritated eyes and a set jaw. Not a ghost - just a man.

Relief turned to indignation. "You scared the life out of me!" Changbin hissed.

The stranger's gaze narrowed. "You're the one sneaking around in the middle of the night."

"I could say the same to you!"

They glared at each other, a tense silence stretching between them. The stranger's eyes glinted with suspicion. "What are you doing out here?"

Changbin crossed his arms, lifting his chin. "I could ask you the same thing."

The man's jaw clenched. "I don't have time for games."

"Who said I was playing?" Changbin shot back, his eyes blazing. He hated being challenged, especially by someone who looked like they'd been carved out of pure arrogance.

The man scoffed, turning away as if the conversation wasn't worth his time. Changbin's blood boiled. "Hey! I asked you a question."

The stranger sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Why do you care?"

"Because," Changbin said, his voice biting, "this is my kingdom."

The man's eyes flickered with something close to amusement. "Your kingdom?" He looked Changbin up and down, taking in his simple, dark clothes and dirt-smeared face. "Don't make me laugh."

"I'm serious!" Changbin snapped. "I'm Prince Seo Changbin."

The man snorted, a harsh, humorless sound. "Sure you are. And I'm the King of the Moon." He turned back toward the lake. "If you're going to lie, at least be creative."

Changbin's cheeks flushed hot with frustration. "I'm not lying!"

But the man ignored him, his eyes fixed on the shimmering water. The silence stretched out again, heavier this time. Changbin shifted uncomfortably, his anger simmering beneath the surface. He didn't like being dismissed. It felt too much like the way his father treated him - like a foolish child, incapable of bearing any real responsibility.

The man spoke suddenly, his voice quiet. "You shouldn't be out here. It's dangerous."

Changbin frowned. "And what about you?"

The man's eyes darkened, shadows flickering across his face. "I'm used to danger."

There was something about the way he said it - a weary bitterness that made Changbin's irritation falter. They stood there, two strangers who didn't belong, both trying to escape chains that couldn't be seen.

"I hate it," the man murmured, almost to himself. "This life of serving, of pretending that loyalty is worth more than a person's life. My grandfather believed in it - he died for it. And for what? A kingdom that didn't even remember his name."

Changbin blinked, taken aback by the rawness in the man's voice. "Why... why do you still do it, then?"

"Because it's what my family does," the man said bitterly. "We serve. We protect. Even if we hate it."

A cold knot twisted in Changbin's chest. He knew that feeling all too well. The weight of expectations that weren't his own. The way duty wrapped around your throat like a noose.

"Seems like we're both trapped," Changbin muttered.

The man's eyes flicked back to him, curiosity breaking through his irritation. "And what would you know about being trapped?"

"More than you think," Changbin replied quietly. "Being a prince doesn't mean freedom. It just means your cage is prettier."

The man stared at him for a long moment, as if trying to decide if he was lying or not. Finally, he shook his head. "You talk too much."

Changbin scowled. "And you're insufferable."

Without another word, they turned and walked in opposite directions, the silence between them filled with unspoken truths.

As Changbin made his way back through the woods, the man's words lingered. He didn't know who the stranger was, but for the first time, he felt like he'd met someone who understood what it was to hate the life they were given.

Neither of them knew it yet, but their paths were bound together now, tangled in fate's hands. And nothing would ever be the same.