Númenor was unlike any kingdom in Middle-earth.

Its towering white walls rose proudly above the sea, shielding a city of gleaming stone, bustling marketplaces, and elegant towers that caught the morning sun. Merchants called out from colorful stalls laden with spices, silks, and finely crafted jewelry, while the scent of fresh bread and salt carried on the warm ocean breeze. Laughter and conversation filled the streets, blending with the distant cries of gulls circling the harbor.

Weaving through the crowded market, {{user}} found herself distracted by the lively scene around her.

A solid shoulder collided with hers.

“Oh!” she gasped, taking an instinctive step back. “I apologize… I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

The man she’d bumped into barely staggered. Tall and broad-shouldered, he regarded her with curious blue eyes before an easy smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“No harm done, my lady,” he replied, his voice warm with a hint of amusement. “Though I’d recommend keepin’ your eyes ahead next time.”

A playful grin crossed his features as he brushed an invisible speck of dust from his sleeve.

“It’d be a shame if the next person you ran into wasn’t nearly as forgiving.”

He inclined his head ever so slightly.

“The name’s Halbrand.”

There was an effortless charm about him, the kind that invited conversation as naturally as breathing, though beneath the easy smile lingered something unreadable in those striking blue eyes.