The Crown Prince's Love
Chapter 51

Startled, we turned towards him, replaceing him staring at us with wide eyes.

He didn't say anything at first, only walking towards us and pointing back and forth between Desmond and me. "Randy, Desmond, what..?" Noah stammered. "You two are... you two are kissing!" Desmond tried to pull away, but I held onto his hand, ensuring he didn't free himself from me. I wanted to say something, but then Sonnia appeared from behind Noah and marched towards us. "What are you doing, Noah?" Sonnia scolded. "Can't you see they're having a moment?"

"Their moment?" Noah's eyes widened.

He placed a hand on his forehead. "This is what you meant when you said that you are into men. That man is Desmond."

I nodded, facing him while holding Desmond's hand gently. "Desmond is my boyfriend, and I don't care about what you think of that. He is my boyfriend."

Noah rubbed the back of his head, still eyeing us with a bewildered expression.

"I:.. I didn't know."

"Well, now you know," Sonnia said, grabbing Noah by the ear. "Give them some space, please." She pointed to us, ignoring Noah's protests. "The teacher is asking for both of you. A game is about to happen, so you better be there." Desmond sighed and placed his hand on his chest. "It's hard to pretend not to be together now that everyone is noticing us, and... I don't want to break the promise I made to the King and Queen about keeping our relationship a secret. I don't want you to be in a difficult situation..."

"Desmond," I interrupted, placing a finger on his lips. "Everything is going to be fine," I assured him and hugged him. "We will be fine. Now, let's go back to the others before someone who is not Noah walks in on us." I kissed his cheek, and we headed out of the woods to join the others.

When we arrived, Mr. Lumin was addressing the group. "Welcome back, lovebirds,"

Noah teased as he stood beside us. "My poor eyes are going to be traumatized for life."

"Not funny," I replied, gesturing towards Sonnia, who was speaking to someone. "Want me to call her for you?" I grinned wickedly.

"No need for that," Noah hissed and scoffed, turning his attention back to the teacher.

Mr. Lumin, known for his eccentricity, clapped his hands to gather our attention.

"Alright, everyone! As you know, it's that time of the year again. The third year tradition continues, the Treasure Hunt!"

Excitement rippled through the group.

"The Treasure Hunt was a much anticipated event, a rite of passage for third year students." Mr. Lumin continued, his voice carrying over the students' buzz.

"Hidden somewhere on the grounds is a mysterious treasure, and the one who replaces it will be crowned the Gem Third Year Student. It's a tradition that's been carried on for generations. Are you ready for the challenge?" A chorus of cheers erupted from the students.

Desmond and I exchanged a glance and nodded in response.

"Good," Mr. Lumin said. "I need you all to form a group of six and then walk together to make it work out!" He exclaimed excitedly.

The students began murmuring among themselves as they formed groups.

Ana and John approached us, expressing their desire to join our group. Henrich and Sonnia also joined, completing our team.

"Now that you've formed your groups," Mr. Lumin added, pausing for emphasis, "Remember, the clues are cleverly hidden. Solving them will require both intelligence and teamwork. May the best student win!" With those words, he distributed envelopes containing the first set of clues to each student, sparking excitement as we eagerly tore them open.

Sonnia eagerly revealed her clues, her eyes lighting up. "I've got it!" she exclaimed, holding the clue high.

"What is it?" Henrich asked, leaning in for a better look.

Sonnia's eyes darted around the group before she pointed towards a distant area of the forest. "The first clue is to replace light. Can you see any light from here?"

"Maybe if we walk closer, we might replace more clues, right, guys?" Ana suggested, and we all nodded in agreement.

The group set off in the direction Sonnia indicated, the rustle of leaves underfoot and the distant calls of birds creating a lively soundtrack to our hunt.

It reminded me of the first date Desmond and I had in the woods, where we ate barbecue and watched the sunset while professing our love.

"This reminds me of when we left school for our date," I whispered into Desmond's ear, hoping no one overheard. "It was an amazing event!"

"How could I forget?" Desmond replied, heaving a deep sigh. "That night was memorable, something I'll never forget in years to come." We laughed together, and our joy caught Sonnias attention.

She turned around, shooting us a disapproving look.

"Guys, this is a treasure hunt. No distractions, please. Focus on replaceing the light," she urged.

Desmond and I exchanged a sheepish glance, nodding in agreement.

We walked for hours until we reached the opening of a cave.

"I think we found it!" Sonnia exclaimed, her eyes wide with exhilaration.

Gathering around the cave, we marveled at the radiant light emanating from within.

"This is the place," she said, then started giving orders on how to enter. "Randy will take the lead, and they will be..." Her words abruptly stopped, and she fell silent.

I waved my hand in front of Sonnia, but she didn't respond. Moving closer and grabbing her hand yielded no reaction.

Looking around, I noticed the rest were motionless except for Desmond.

They had all frozen in time.

"What is happening?" Desmond asked. "Why is everyone frozen?" Before I could respond, a voice echoed from the cave.

"Randy, Desmond, come into the cave." We exchanged looks and began walking into the cave as if we were under the control of the mysterious voice.