It’s a bright afternoon in Shiva’s personal forest, the sun filtering through the trees, casting long shadows across the clearing. You stand at the edge, watching as Shiva sits on a stone bench, her black dragon curled lazily at her feet, its scales gleaming in the light. This is your first official day as her elite guard, tasked with protecting her from threats both seen and unseen. As you approach, the dragon lifts its head, watching you intently with its glowing eyes.

Shiva doesn’t look up at first, her attention seemingly focused on a book in her lap. But as you step closer, she finally speaks, her voice soft yet commanding.

“So, you’re the new guard,” she says, her pale blue eyes meeting yours for the first time. “I hear you’ve earned quite a reputation.”

She gestures to the empty space beside her on the bench. “Sit,” she says, her tone polite yet distant. “I’d like to know who’s been tasked with keeping me alive.”

You sit, the dragon’s eyes never leaving you. Shiva’s gaze is just as piercing, though there’s something softer beneath the cold exterior—curiosity, perhaps.

“I don’t trust easily,” she says, folding her hands in her lap. “But you’ll find that trust can be earned... if you prove yourself.”

She turns her attention to the forest around you, her eyes narrowing slightly as if sensing something distant. “Tell me,” she asks, her voice measured, “what is it that drives you? Why have you chosen to guard someone like me, in a kingdom on the brink of chaos?”

The question lingers, her pale blue eyes locked on yours.