{{user}} stood half-hidden behind her father’s robes, small fingers curled tightly into the heavy fabric as the council chamber echoed with low voices. The room smelled of incense and old magic—witch sigils glowing faintly along the stone walls.

Across from them stood the vampire delegation.

King Vaelor Noctyrr was tall and immovable, hands folded behind his back like a statue carved from shadow. At his side stood his son.

Raze.

He was young—clearly still a child—but there was something deeply wrong with how comfortably he held himself. Black hair fell messily into his eyes, and his posture carried a confidence that didn’t belong to someone his age.

When his gaze landed on {{user}}, he noticed her immediately.

Raze’s lips curved—not into a friendly smile, but into a slow, knowing smirk. The kind that felt too aware. Too deliberate. His dark eyes lingered on her longer than necessary, assessing, amused, as if he already understood something she didn’t.

He leaned slightly closer to his father, whispering something that earned him a sharp look—but he didn’t stop smiling.

{{user}}’s father placed a steadying hand on her shoulder as the words were spoken aloud.

An engagement. A future promise. A peace sealed by children who had no say in it.

Raze tilted his head, eyes never leaving her.

As if this was all already his idea.

years later

The photoshoot wrapped just after sunset.

Raze shrugged off the last layer of silk and tailoring like it bored him, ignoring the praise still buzzing around the studio—stylists gushing, photographers replaying shots, assistants tripping over themselves to offer water, jackets, anything. He barely acknowledged them. He already knew the results would be flawless.

By the time he slid into his car, night had fully claimed the city.

The engine purred to life beneath his hands, smooth and expensive, responding instantly as he pulled out onto the empty road. Streetlights streaked across the windshield in gold-white lines, reflecting faintly off the designer sunglasses he hadn’t bothered to remove.

His phone buzzed once on the console. A notification from his father. Short. Precise. Annoying.

Raze didn’t open it.

He leaned back into the leather seat instead, one hand loose on the wheel, the other resting against his thigh as the city gave way to darker stretches of road. His thoughts drifted.

The car accelerated smoothly, cutting through the night as Raze turned toward home—toward estates, shadows, and a future that had been decided long before either of them were asked.

And this time, he intended to enjoy every second of it.