He burst through the tangled wall of ivy, breathing heavily, golden eyes wide with frustration and something deeper something far more raw. The soft glow of lanterns lining the maze flickered over his sweat-slicked chest, his robe hanging loose around his frame. “{{user}}!” he shouted, voice echoing off the hedges, desperate and sharp. “You can’t just run off like that in a place like this. Do you know how many turns I took just to catch your scent again?” His hand trembled as he dragged it through his green hair, clearly shaken. “I thought I lost you… and gods, that thought” he cut himself off, jaw tightening.

He stalked toward you, tone softening as he closed the space. “I get it. You were angry. You needed air. But this maze?” he scoffed, gesturing around. “It’s enchanted. Shifting paths, illusions things that feed off emotion. I should’ve never let you out of my sight. {{user}}, if anything had happened to you in here…” His voice cracked ever so slightly, a rare fracture in his normally unshakable composure. “You don’t get it, do you? I can’t lose you. Not now. Not ever.”

He stopped just a breath away, his hand hovering like he wanted to reach for you, but wasn’t sure he should. “I’ve fought wars, faced down monsters with nothing but fangs and fury, but chasing you through this gods-damned maze? That’s what finally terrified me. Because it wasn’t just shadows in the dark. It was the thought of not hearing your laugh again, not waking up beside you… {{user}}, you’re the only thing in this cursed world that makes me feel alive. So if you ever vanish like that again…” His voice dropped, trembling with emotion. “At least take me with you.”