CHAPTER 410: ’INSIDE HIS MIND.’

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty."

Lysander entered the room, followed closely by an older gentleman. Heinz rose from the bed, his gaze instinctively flickering toward the still-sleeping Florian before shifting to the newcomers.

Both men offered respectful bows.

Azure lifted his small head from the mattress, already familiar with Lysander’s presence and showing no signs of alarm.

However, the dragon’s slitted eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar man. Still, he stayed close beside Florian, protective yet calm.

Heinz moved to the sitting area, settling into one of the couches. Without wasting a second, he motioned toward the opposite couch. "Sit. Both of you."

Lysander obeyed immediately, and the stranger followed suit, sitting beside him. Heinz didn’t bother with pleasantries.

"Who is he? And how exactly is he going to help Florian?"

Lysander clasped his hands on his lap. "This is Afton Williams, Your Majesty. A renowned magic professor from Celestial Peak Academy. He specializes in mind-related arcana and has been conducting extensive research on a discipline called psychology—a study of the mind and its behavior."

’Psychology?’

Afton offered a polite nod, his tone respectful yet calm.

"It’s an honor to be granted audience, Your Majesty. When Lysander described His Highness’s condition, it immediately reminded me of a magical theory I’ve been developing—a trial spell that, in theory, may help bring him back."

Heinz’s brows lifted slightly.

’A spell he developed?’ He leaned back in his seat, expression unreadable as his gaze narrowed ever so slightly.

’I can sense it... this man’s not just talented. He’s powerful. But powerful enough to construct an original spell?’

"What kind of spell are we talking about?" Heinz asked sharply.

"Of course," Afton said, already reaching into the satchel at his side. He pulled out a neatly organized set of papers, diagrams, and notes. "Before I get to the spell and its method, I believe it’s important to explain the prince’s current state—why he is behaving the way he is, and what it truly means when you say his body is like an ’empty shell.’"

Afton spread the papers he’d brought over the table, each one filled with neat handwritten notes, diagrams of brain structures, magical theory sigils, and detailed behavioral observations.

Heinz, still seated on the opposite couch, leaned forward to glance at them—his brow furrowed deeply. He said nothing at first, but his crimson eyes flicked over the pages with sharp precision.

"This... is PTSD?" Heinz finally asked, eyes narrowing. "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Afton replied with a respectful nod. "It’s a psychological condition that develops when someone experiences or witnesses something deeply traumatic. Something violent. Overwhelming. It doesn’t always happen from one single event—it can be a buildup. A slow degradation of the mind, until one final trigger snaps it."

Heinz clenched his jaw, staring at a line on the paper: Disassociation, loss of time, extreme panic, emotional shutdown, withdrawal from reality...

He looked up again. "You’re saying... that’s why Florian’s like this? That’s why he won’t move, won’t speak?"

"Correct," Afton confirmed gently. "From what Lysander told me, His Highness experienced a horrific assault. But he also described prior patterns—detachment, overtrusting behavior, and then total shutdown. That aligns with something we’ve observed in rare cases—where the trauma doesn’t just injure the mind... it causes the subconscious to retreat entirely, locking the rest of the body behind it. That’s why he seems like an ’empty shell

’ right now."

Heinz’s gaze flicked toward the door, behind which Florian lay sleeping. His knuckles turned white. "Then where is he? What exactly is happening inside his head?"

Afton paused, then spoke carefully. "We believe his mind has withdrawn completely inward—he’s trapped inside his own subconscious. He might not even be aware of the outside world anymore. The part of his mind that should be reacting... isn’t. It’s frozen. And the longer he stays that way, the harder it will be to bring him back."

Heinz’s brows knitted deeper as he gave Afton a sharp, scrutinizing look. "You keep saying ’we believe’—so all of this is still just speculation? You don’t know anything for certain?"

"It’s an educated hypothesis," Afton replied calmly, with a respectful nod. "Based on magical diagnostics, psychological parallels, and similar cases I’ve encountered. While no two minds are ever exactly alike, Prince Florian’s case is... particularly unique. But not without precedence."

Heinz didn’t look convinced. "Unique how?"

Afton hesitated for a brief moment, as if weighing the importance of his words.

"The level of trust he displays toward you, despite his trauma... it stands out. In cases like these—especially involving victims of assault—patients often develop intense fear toward anyone resembling the source of the trauma. Sometimes, even toward their own family."

Heinz leaned back slightly, his tone flat. "Are you implying Florian should be scared of me?"

"Not quite." Afton shook his head gently. "But I am saying it’s unusual that he’s not. In my experience, I’ve seen women recoil from their husbands after an assault. Parents unable to hold their own children after losing a partner. Trauma rewires perception. But despite his condition, Prince Florian recognizes you as a source of safety. That’s rare."

Heinz’s eyes narrowed. "So, you’re saying his attachment to me isn’t normal?"

"Not abnormal," Afton clarified, "but noteworthy. Especially when others he was supposedly close to—such as his servant, Cashew—can’t even get near him now without triggering distress."

Heinz stiffened slightly. "Cashew and Florian were close. Practically inseparable."

"That’s what I’ve been told. Which is precisely what makes his fear of Cashew—and not you—all the more significant," Afton said thoughtfully. "Forgive me if I tread on sensitive ground, Your Majesty, but there are rumors that your relationship with His Highness wasn’t always... warm."

Heinz’s expression didn’t change, but internally, he acknowledged the truth.

Though, it was the original Florian he had a complicated relationship with, and not this one.

"And you think that means something?" Heinz asked.

"I do," Afton answered. "It means that, for whatever reason—past life or present—his mind has latched onto you as the only constant. Someone he still sees as a tether."

Heinz exhaled slowly, arms folding across his chest. "How does that help? You mentioned a ’method,’ a spell. Why does Florian’s case suit it?"

"I’m a firm believer," Afton said steadily, "that trauma recovery is seventy-five percent inner strength, and twenty-five percent meaningful support. But not just from anyone—from someone they trust. Someone they feel safe with. In less severe cases, I’ve tried to guide patients back myself, as an outsider. But in something this deep, someone close to them is more likely to succeed."

"You’re saying Florian trusts me enough that I could be the one to bring him back?"

Afton gave a slow, affirming nod. "Yes. And that’s where the spell comes in."

He slid a set of parchment sheets across the table toward Heinz. "This is the spell I’ve been developing. It’s still in its trial phase, but it uses a fusion of deep mental arcana and empathic resonance to allow one person’s subconscious to enter the mental landscape of another."

Heinz’s eyes moved over the rune diagrams and incantation circles, skeptical. "A spell that lets my mind go into his?"

"Yes. Temporarily. You won’t have full control, and your presence will be tied to the emotional and mental bond you share with His Highness. You’ll see the world through his subconscious lens, possibly shaped by his fears or memories. The goal is to find him—and convince him it’s safe to come back."

Heinz stared hard at the pages, jaw clenched.

’Subconscious entry magic... I didn’t think it was anything more than theory.’

But deep down, something about this made sense.

Heinz already considered something similar to this might’ve happened, whether it was a God’s doing, that made the original Florian get replaced by the current one.

Hold on...

He looked up. "And you want me to go inside Florian’s mind?"