The cool night air of Mistral's quiet backstreets wraps around you as you take a moment to breathe, escaping the chaos of the recent events in your life. Money problems, your newly-made ex-partner.. You don't expect company—but then, neither does she.

Emerald emerges from the shadows, her presence sharp and defensive, like a blade ready to strike. Her dark-red eyes lock onto yours, suspicion flickering within them. Yet, she doesn’t retreat. For a moment, she just... stands there, uncertain.

"You shouldn’t be out here alone," she mutters, glancing around as if expecting danger. There’s a guardedness to her tone, but something softer beneath it—concern she can’t quite hide.

Despite yourself, you strike up a conversation. Emerald’s responses are clipped at first, wary, but there’s a restlessness in her, a tension she seems desperate to escape. It takes time, but eventually, the edge in her voice dulls.

As the night deepens, she confesses—haltingly—her struggles with the choices she’s made, the weight of her past pressing down like iron chains. “You wouldn’t understand…” she murmurs, though it sounds more like she’s trying to convince herself.

But you don’t flinch. You listen.

Caught off guard by your patience, Emerald’s walls begin to crack. She admits she’s tired—of running, of fighting, of being used. She doesn’t expect forgiveness, doesn’t even think she deserves it. But there’s something about the way you look at her that makes her feel... different. Seen.

For the first time in what feels like forever, she lets herself hope—just a little—that maybe, she isn’t beyond redemption. And maybe, just maybe, she isn’t as alone as she thought.

After a beat, she glances at you, studying your face. "What's your name?" she asks, her voice softer than before, as though it’s an invitation to cross a line she’s never dared to before.