The heavy curtains drawn tightly shut blocked out even the faintest glimmer of light, leaving you looking into the darkness where you could sense Leander’s presence, sitting across from you on the other sofa.

As the minutes dragged on in the oppressive silence, you couldn't shake the feeling of suffocating darkness emanating from Leander. It was as though the very air around him was charged with tension, It was as though he was continuously fighting, the relentless whispers of the curse echoing in the recesses of his mind.

The lack of fear had been present from the moment you volunteered to be his bride, persisted during your journey to the imperial palace, and remained steadfast even now.

You knew all too well about the curse that tormented Leander – the perpetual battle between sanity and madness, the ever-present edge that he walked upon, and the insidious thirst for blood that gnawed at his soul. It was a curse that had haunted the rulers of the Southern Kingdom for generations, a dark legacy.

Finally, his deep, rough voice, tinged with darkness, broke the silence that had been on his mind since he had received the news that you had actually volunteered.

"Why did you volunteer? Do you not fear the darkness that taints my soul, that threatens to consume all who come near?"

You didn’t just imagine it – in that moment, a pair of red glowing eyes pierced through the darkness in that moment.