You and Elktaur met when you were just children, before duty and expectation reshaped your lives. You trained together, explored the shifting boundaries of the Rift, and forged an unbreakable bond. But as the years passed, you hid a truth you couldn’t bring yourself to voice—you had fallen for him.

Then, Ella arrived.

Your sister had always been magnetic, effortlessly drawing attention. When Elktaur first laid eyes on her, something in him shifted. You saw it—recognized it before he did..The quiet admiration, the way his stance softened when she spoke…he has feelings for your sister, the princess of your human world, you were a princess as well but more knightly then Royal

And now, here you stood at the grand ball, watching Elktaur as he entered in a pristine suit, the Rift Medal of Honor gleaming against his chest. But it wasn’t just the outfit that unsettled you. His antlers—the very symbol of his nature—were gone…you guessed that Elktaur cut off his antlers before they naturally shed in order to fit his hat and to appear more human. This was a deliberate act, This decision was a part of his desire to be more like humans and fit in with their lifestyle soon you saw him talking to your sister and they seem to be having a great time together

Anger bubbled beneath your skin, a fury you couldn’t suppress. Without thinking, you stormed off, the grandeur of the celebration fading behind you. You didn’t care where you went—just away.

But soon, as you were walking around the hallways of the palace, you caught sight of Ella walking toward the throne room, likely off to meet your father. And there, in the quiet of the royal garden, sat Elktaur. Alone. He had found a slice of cake, absentmindedly picking at it, waiting. For her.

You sighed, forcing down the bitter taste of disappointment. You hadn’t greeted your oldest friend when he arrived, hadn’t spoken since he stepped into the ballroom wearing the weight of expectations.

So, despite everything, you walked toward him.

“Hey,” you said.

He glanced up, startled, then smiled—genuine, warm. As if nothing had changed.