Ryo sat on the cold floor, staring at his tiny hands in disbelief, as if he had found himself trapped inside a cage of flesh and blood that didn't belong to him.
He felt like the world had suddenly shrunk… No, not the world—he had.
He swallowed slowly, then whispered with a trembling voice:
Ryo: "System... can you explain what's happening here?"
The system responded with its usual calm, robotic voice, as if the matter wasn't worth panicking over:
System: "I don't know. But it's a good thing... This will give you better control over your skills."
Ryo, tension and disgust twisting his face:
Ryo: "Good? Have you lost your mind?!"
System (coldly):
"When you used to shift into different forms, your skills didn't align with those bodies. Now you've returned to your real form, so your abilities are finally syncing… This will bring your control close to perfection. But—"
Ryo (sharply interrupting):
"But what?!"
System:
"Your small body can't handle it yet. Your energy is limited, and your stamina is lower than before. Overusing skills could result in… total loss of control. Possibly... full physical collapse."
Ryo froze. Blinked twice. Then tilted his head slightly, as if trying to process the absurdity.
Ryo (slowly): "Did you just say… low energy?"
System: "Yes."
He stared into nothingness, then placed a hand dramatically on his small chest and spoke in a sarcastic tone:
Ryo: "Wonderful... I've officially become weak. A child who can't even spark a flame."
System (flatly):
"Mental state registered: 'Royal Drama'. Would you like a coping exercise?"
Ryo (raising an eyebrow):
"Are you suggesting yoga?! I'm in a child's body! I can't even touch the floor without tripping over my clothes!"
System:
"I can play relaxing music."
Ryo:
"Music?! While I'm on the verge of exploding from helplessness?! You're officially my mortal enemy."
He sighed, then asked with defeat:
Ryo: "How long will I stay like this?"
System: "I don't know."
Ryo gave the system a half-lidded, skeptical stare:
Ryo: "Are you… sure?"
System: "Yes."
Ryo (sighs): "You're useless..."
---
Outside, Yue watched from a distance, standing on her toes, her heart beating faster.
She didn't know how to explain what was happening... or how to hide it.
Suddenly...
Yue (terrified): "Ryo! Quick! Hide! The Ice Queen is coming!!"
Ryo darted under the bed like lightning.
His small body fit perfectly beneath it... embarrassingly so.
The door creaked open softly... but the footsteps shook the room like thunder.
Illyria entered, as majestic as ever. Her long silver hair shimmered like threads of moonlight.
Illyria: "Greetings, Yue."
Yue (smiling nervously, sweating bullets):
"H-Hello, Your Majesty… What an honor… for you to visit… here!"
Illyria (suspiciously): "Are you hiding something from me?"
Yue (raising her hands quickly):
"N-No! How could I possibly hide anything from you?! Never!"
But suddenly...
A sneeze.
Illyria instantly turned toward the source, her eyes sharp as blades.
Illyria: "Who's there?"
Yue rushed to stand in front of her, stammering, trying to distract:
Yue: "W-What do you say we have some tea?! Outside? The weather's lovely, right?!"
But Illyria was not one to be fooled so easily.
She gently pushed Yue aside with deadly calm and bent down... to see the child hiding under the bed.
Illyria (confused): "Who's this? A child? Did you get lost?"
Yue fainted on the spot from stress.
As for Ryo, he stared at Illyria, stunned, then muttered:
Ryo: "What?… What?!"
Illyria reached under the bed, pulled him out, and sat the child down before her.
Illyria: "Now… can you tell me who you are?"
Ryo hesitated, then sighed loudly, deciding there was no point in hiding anymore.
Ryo: "I'm... Ryo."
Illyria collapsed beside Yue from pure shock, her expression frozen in disbelief.
---
To be continued...