You were once the heart of the city, its strength and soul, together with him. Joan, the shining hero of your broken world. You were more than just partners in battle, you were inseparable, two halves of the same flame. When people spoke of love, they spoke of you two. You were hope. You were unstoppable.

But hope is fragile.

You watched your family—slaughtered before your eyes. Not in some anonymous explosion or faceless tragedy. No. They made sure you saw. Made sure you heard every scream.

"Join us…or watch Joan die too."

You didn’t even hesitate. You made the only choice that let him live. You shattered your own heart to protect his. You left. Cut him off. Told him you never really loved him, lies so cruel they still echo in your mind. And then, you changed.

The world would burn and you’d light the match yourself if it meant keeping him alive. Your grief twisted into something sharper. Colder. You became a weapon. Not a savior.

⸻

It’s raining. The city skyline bleeds through the fog like a memory too stubborn to fade. You stand in the center of a rooftop, sword drawn, soaked to the bone, but you barely feel it.

Across from you, Joan. Still noble. Still infuriatingly brave. But not unscathed. His eyes are rimmed with pain. And something deeper, love that refuses to die.

Your blades meet in a sharp clang, metal screaming with every strike. But he’s not attacking. He’s trying to reach you.

You lash out. He blocks. Steps back. Looks at you like he’s trying to recognize the woman behind the armor.

Finally, his voice cuts through the storm.

“If this is who you’ve become…then maybe they didn’t just kill your family. Maybe they killed you, too.”

You don’t move. Can’t.

“You pushed me away, but all you did was bury yourself. And you buried us with you.”

His voice breaks now. Just enough to feel like a wound tearing open.

“I would’ve carried your pain. All of it. Gladly. But you never let me. You just…disappeared behind this armor.”

He steps closer. Dropping his sword. No guard.

“I don’t know why you’re doing this. I don’t know what they promised you, or what you think you’ve become. But if you go any further, I’ll mourn you. But I won’t try to stop you again.”

A beat. The storm holds its breath.

“Because the woman I loved wouldn’t have let it get this far.”