Falling Stars

Julian's first thought was that there was an earthquake that knocked him to the ground. Suddenly there were two people on top of him, yelling at him to stay down. Something whizzed past Julian's ear, very narrowly missing him, and Julian suddenly realized that shots were being fired over his head. This was an attack. His first thought was Calli, but among the running and screaming people, she was nowhere to be found. He squirmed free of the people restraining him, losing them in the panicked crowds as he desperately looked around. This wasn't a Travenian attack. The attackers had much more advanced weaponry, and were likely here because the royal family was visiting. Julian whipped around to look for his father now, who was obviously the target here.

"Julian!"

He heard his father call out his name, turning to see Gerald behind him. He'd never seen his father look so afraid. Julian started towards Gerald, but four blasts rang out, and everything went still as the blasts tore through the king's chest. Julian couldn't process what was happening, and everything seemed to move in slow motion as Gerald crumpled unceremoniously to the ground. Julian stared at him, then ran to his father, dropping to his knees next to him. He turned Gerald over, and saw his father's eyes lifelessly stare at nothing as blood soaked his shirt from the holes torn clean through his heart.

"We have to get out of here," Julian muttered to him, though he knew Gerald was far past saving. "Dad, say something! Blink! Please!"

Nothing. Julian couldn't scream or cry. He'd never seen a dead body. Not for his mother, or his brother. Not for Kaleb, who was surely dead. Nothing hit him as hard as seeing his father like this, dying in a cloud of chaos and screaming. Julian blinked a few times and salty tears streamed down his face, and he felt something hit his shoulder like a rock had been thrown at him. He didn't know or care what it was, but it knocked him forward, and he fell over on top of Gerald's dead body. Blood blossomed from the spot that was hit, and Julian still couldn't comprehend what had happened.

"The prince is hit! Get him out of there!"

Julian looked up and heard a couple of Gerald's personal guards yelling and running towards him. Julian had been shot, and he didn't even feel it. Someone yanked him up off Gerald and started to drag him away, but Julian couldn't just leave his father there. He kicked and yelled, but they held on tightly to him. It took two grown men to drag Julian out of the scene, but he didn't stop yelling and fighting until he felt a new pair of smaller, gentler hands cupping his face. He looked down and saw Calli looking up at him, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Julian, he's gone," she told him, calmly but firmly. "He's dead. You can't save him, but you have to let them save you. Please."

"I can't just leave him there!" Julian told her, voice cracking.

"I'm so sorry about this, Jules," she said.

She moved her hands and gripped a specific spot on his neck. He struggled, but felt himself go weaker and weaker until his vision faded to black.



Julian woke up in a familiar room. His bedroom back at home, he noticed. He was lying in bed, and his arm was in a sling. There was a sharp pain in his bandaged shoulder. Proof that his last, terrible memory had actually been a reality. His father was dead, and Julian watched him get murdered. He tried to sit up and two maids rushed to help him.

"Easy there, your highness," one of them said. "The doctor said you shouldn't be moving around too much."

"How long has it been?" he mumbled.

"You arrived just last night," she told him. "The doctor put you on some heavy medication, and you've been in and out of it. You were shot in the shoulder in the attack, and you have two broken ribs from getting tackled."

Julian said nothing, and he felt that his mind was a million miles away. He was past the point of being sad and grieving. In one horrible moment he realized that his entire family was dead. He heard a familiar voice and turned to see Calli rush into his room and tell the maids to leave them alone. They were reluctant, but did as she asked, closing the door behind them. Calli sat on the edge of Julian's bed and grabbed his hand. She looked like she'd been having a rough time too. Her hair lay flat and dull and her eyes were a bit swollen, like she'd been crying.

"I'm so sorry, Julian," she said quietly. "None of this was supposed to happen. You weren't supposed to get hurt. And Gerald wasn't supposed to-"

"Get fucking torn apart?" Julian finished in a dull tone.

"Julian, nothing I can say will make things better for you right now," she sighed. "I've been there. I know that. You know I know."

He did know. He hadn't remembered what happened to Calli's family until then, and felt a pang of guilt for being such a pain. She was friends with his father. She'd lost someone too. He sighed and lifted the covers over him, and she kicked off her shoes and crawled under them with him, resting her head on his good shoulder and making sure not to strain the injuries. They stayed like that in silence for what felt like hours.

"They're going to wait until you'll be able to walk with ease again before they have a funeral," Calli said quietly.

"Makes sense."

"How do you feel?"

"Physically or emotionally?"

"Both."

"Physically, I feel like I was hit by four speeders," he started. "Emotionally? Numb, I guess. I feel kind of alone. Kind of afraid. Kind of lost."

"I'm here with you," she reminded him.

"Yeah, you are," he said, pulling her a little closer. "I'm grateful for that."

"I won't go anywhere unless you ask me to."

"I won't ask you to."