Kohn walked with his head lowered through the alleys of Underground Street, his eyes vacant. He paid no attention to the beggars and vagrants beneath the eaves on either side, nor to their furtive gazes.
"Kohn."
The scruffy man to his front left was concealing the bloodstains covering his clothes. Farther away, a thug was sneaking around, hawking the things in his pocket. Beneath the eaves opposite, a beggar was fighting with another emaciated fellow over ownership of an unclaimed ring.
But Kohn simply drifted past them, seeing nothing and hearing nothing.
What did any of that have to do with him?
"Kohn?"
Glory of the Stars kept his mind focused on his own world, undistracted. The distant clamor could not draw his attention, and the filth nearby could not stir his thoughts. To him, Underground Street—even the Lower City District—seemed merely like a place-name written on paper.
He seemed to be walking beyond the edge of the sky, above everything, utterly lost in himself—just like the many noble heirs he knew, who looked across the kingdom, carried the world in their hearts, and were destined to accomplish great things.
But...
"Kohn!"
At last, Kohn, whose mind had wandered beyond the world, jolted and stumbled back to his senses.
"What is it?"
Kohn instinctively glanced from side to side.
Layok was still ten paces away, his attitude toward them full of disdain and rejection. Gollor dutifully guarded the Prince's side, using his size and expression to block every ill-intentioned, covetous gaze.
Kohn lowered his head. The one who had spoken—Second Prince—was staring deeply at him, his eyes filled with scrutiny.
"Pull yourself together."
Tales' voice carried an unmistakable tone of authority.
"You've been an Alert Officer for six years. What Morris said shouldn't have affected you this much."
What Morris