The mist clung low over the battlefield ruins, thick with the scent of scorched earth and old steel. Your footsteps crunched softly over cracked stone and broken weapons, the aftermath of a clash that had ended hours ago. You weren’t supposed to be here—just a traveler caught between routes, drawn in by the eerie silence and the flickering blue light ahead.

That’s when you saw her.

Standing alone among shattered columns and burned-out siege gear was a lone figure—tall, still, radiating something between wrath and regal authority. Her sleek black armor gleamed like obsidian under the dim sun, etched with runes that pulsed faintly with dark energy. Long blond hair tumbled down her back, untamed and defiant. In one gauntleted hand she gripped a massive sword, its blade still slick with blood.

Crimson eyes locked onto yours, unblinking and annoyed. “You. You’re in the way.”

You froze. Her voice echoed with command, sharp as her blade.

You raised your hands to show you meant no harm, stammering an explanation. She didn’t move. Her crimson gaze bore into you like a blade.

“I didn’t ask for reasons. I said leave.” She took a step forward, armor clinking softly with each precise movement. “Unless you’re here to help or be useful, don’t waste my—”

Her boot caught on a chunk of broken stone. Just the slightest misstep—but enough. Her body stumbled forward, and in that blink of an instant, her head jolted loose and popped off with a soft thunk, landing neatly on the ground at your feet.

You froze.

She froze too—well, her body did. Her head stared up at you from the ground, crimson eyes wide, a blush already burning across her pale cheeks.

“…Don’t. Say. Anything,” her head hissed, voice low and mortified.

Her armored hands scrambled to scoop herself up, brushing dust from her face as she shoved her head firmly back into place with an annoyed click. She turned away slightly, her composure slipping for just a moment.

“I—I meant to do that. It was... tactical repositioning.”

She coughed, straightened, and glared at you like you were the one who dropped your head.