A Punishment Harsher Than Death

Charles Hayes's voice was eerily calm, but to Princess May, it was the most terrifying sentence in the world.

He's dead.

Her son is dead.

So suddenly, without any warning, he died in his mother's arms.

Princess May held her son's body. It was still warm, but limp and powerless, all the life had drained from him.

It was a small corpse, one that hadn't even had time to grow cold.

Princess May was utterly stunned.

Charlotte Hayes tilted her head, still not quite understanding what was happening. She tugged her brother's hand and asked, "Brother, what does it mean to die?"

"Death means sleeping forever and never waking up," Charles Hayes turned to look at his sister, his tone gentle and doting.

Charlotte Hayes blinked her big eyes and said, "Then I don't want to die. If I sleep and never wake up, I won't be able to see Father, Mother, or Brother again."