The Lost Prince

A sickening wave of nausea washed over Varian, his heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his ribs. The workshop walls seemed to press in on him, the air growing thick and suffocating. Fear, cold and sharp, gripped his throat, constricting his every breath.

He'd been making progress, slow but steady. He'd incorporated Captain Quiana's lessons on focus and control into his meditation practices, the frustration towards the moonstone slowly morphing into a cautious respect. But tonight, something was different.

His hands trembled as he reached for a vial filled with a luminescent moonstone extract. It pulsed with an unsettling energy, mirroring the turmoil within him. A choked sob escaped his lips, a sound raw with terror.

Suddenly, the vial slipped from his grasp, shattering on the floor. The luminescent liquid spread like an ethereal spiderweb, and the workshop filled with an oppressive hum.

A piercing shriek tore from Varian's throat. The power of the moonstone, raw and uncontrolled, surged through him, lashing out in response to his escalating panic.

The workshop door slammed open, and Varian flinched as Lashanie, the Queen, and Rapunzel rushed in. His vision blurred, the frantic pulsating of the moonstone warping his perception. He could barely hear their voices – Lashanie's frantic pleas, Rapunzel's soothing murmurs, the Queen's sharp commands.

"Varian, calm down!" Rapunzel cried, her voice cutting through the haze of fear. "Focus on me, Varian! We're here to help you!"

But his mind was a storm, his thoughts swirling in a chaotic vortex. He couldn't focus, couldn't control the surge of power coursing through him.

A booming voice shattered the cacophony. "Varian! What is happening here?!"

It was Frederic, his face a mask of alarm as he burst through the doorway, guards flanking him. Varian cowered back, his whimper swallowed by the oppressive hum of the moonstone energy.

Frederic stared at the scene before him – his son, his engineer, enveloped in a swirling vortex of magic. The room itself seemed to vibrate with an unseen power.

Panic clawed at Frederic's throat. He recognized the signs of Varian's panic attack from that fateful day, but this was different, magnified a thousandfold by the moonstone's magic.

He wanted to rush to Varian's side, to offer comfort and support, but the sheer intensity of the magic held him back. He could only stand frozen, watching in horror as his son, his kingdom's protector, battled against his own fear and the capricious power of the moonstone.

Panic warred with a desperate hope within Frederic. His son, his Varian, was lost in a storm of his own making, the moonstone's power amplifying his terror into a raging inferno. The pleas of the Queen and Rapunzel faded into the background as Frederic locked eyes with Varian, a silent plea etched on his face.

"Varian," he called out, his voice surprisingly steady despite the tremor in his heart. "It's alright. We can get through this together. Just focus on my voice, son."

But Varian's eyes, glowing an unnatural blue, seemed to see right through him. The raw pain and anger that had festered within him for years, fueled by the volatile moonstone energy, erupted in a torrent of accusations.

"Don't you dare act like you care!" Varian shrieked, his voice distorted by the magic. "You locked me away! Called me a monster! You never believed in me!"

The words, laced with a lifetime of hurt, struck Frederic like a physical blow. Shame burned hot in his gut, the weight of his past mistakes crushing down on him. He saw the reflection of his own failures contorted in the swirling chaos of magic that surrounded his son.