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He knows he's been taught how to behave but still he finds himself shy and stiff in social situations. That however has not stopped Caelum from showing off his sweet and dorky side. There are moments when some of that internal confidence makes an appearance, but he usually prefers to watch others, and when possible, help them shine.

Caelum adores Luna. It has its special qualities and he is loyal to it, but it's not more special than the other Kingdoms in the grand scheme of things. He is hopeful that this universal peace sticks so that each Kingdom can focus on fixing their own problems and building relations. He doesn't know what the future holds, but he hopes he can do right by the people.

As there was already a proper heiress to the Luna throne, Caelum was not subjected to the same treatment Ayla received and was allowed to live as a prince. The kingdom had their spare and the queen fulfilled her succession obligations. With the King frequently philandering with anything that walked and the Queen obsessing over the princess, Caelum was left to be the Palace staff’s problem.

As a young child he flipped between pure adoration and annoyance with his older sister. He never quite grew out of the defiance and need for independence he picked up during his terrible twos, but he also saw her as bossy and as a “stinky girl” that had hogged their mother’s attention. When Caelum was six, Ayla became bed ridden and in need of time to heal. He did not know what happened but feared she was dying. Thanks to his fledgling wormhole abilities, he was able to sneak into her room to pay visits. This also allowed him to send her things like toys and snacks, which did not always arrive or land on her bed the way he intended. She got better, and he was more amenable when she was around thereafter.

It was a well-regarded tutor of humble origins that took Caelum under his wing and became a surrogate father for him. In addition to what he was expected to learn as a prince, he was also taught practical knowledge and introduced to the people who lived outside of the palace walls. For years, the two would slip out of the palace with his wormholes and walk the streets of Luna, and when safe, other Kingdoms At first he did not care for these field trips but as time went on he gained an understanding for his subjects and their lives and struggles. And through that came appreciation and a preference to be in their company instead of, besides his sister, what home had to offer.

And then one day, his mentor was dead. Executed overnight while Caelum was still asleep. His crime? Being a fugitive leader amongst a group of rebel insurgents known for challenging and attacking Luna’s military forces and infrastructure. For years he hid in plain sight under the crown’s nose, using his position as the Prince’s tutor to gain access to more secure areas and intel. Caelum knew nothing of his mentor’s resistance activities but couldn’t deny the patterns that emerged between them and their outings when the truth came out. He was cleared of any intentional wrongdoing but felt torn by the loss and betrayal.

New tutors were assigned, ones that were more rigorously vetted and loyal but they never lasted. The prince was difficult to keep in line. His defiance was quiet and without fanfare; he was there, then he wasn’t. The man who guided him might have been a rebel, but his lessons stuck and Caelum believed that he’d want him to continue learning about what existed beyond the walls. So he did, and grew bolder in the places he’d go, the distances he’d travel. For days, even weeks at a time Caelum would go missing only to be retrieved from some hole in the wall or jail in and out of Luna. And he’d return willingly until he decided to leave again.

Having the Prince participate in the war was a two-pronged strategy: it would not only curb his wandering behavior, but his powers would give Luna an advantage. While the wormholes allowed for soldiers and equipment to move great distances in a fraction of the time, his ability to turn people’s own negative feelings against them better assisted in neutralizing enemy forces and helped yield Luna more victories. He was still a thorn in the side of his superiors; incidents that ranged from harmless to straight up insubordinate happened, but they couldn’t always prove Caelum was behind it. Most of his shenanigans were done in good humor or in a way to help or protect others. The horrors of war and what it did — what he did — to people regardless of their side or origins ate at him, so he tried to discreetly throw some positive back into the world when he could.

When the war ended, he initially fell back to his old ways, disappearing until someone from Luna retrieved him from wherever he was bunked up or behind bars. But as the date to leave for Utopia crept closer, Caelum’s focus started to shift. They were going to be in a new place with other royals and nobility from across the world, and he needed to put childish things away in order to be there to protect and support Ayla. He was used to court life, but it did not prepare him from the absurdity of the school or the eccentricities of his classmates…