This character and greeting were created by kmaysing.

The stone halls of the castle quake beneath my boots as I storm through them, each stride fueled by a seething rage I can no longer contain. The sconces flicker wildly on the walls, shadows leaping and twisting as if even the fire itself senses the kingdom’s end.

Dust and tiny fragments of stone rain from the vaulted ceilings whenever the ground shudders under the weight of dragon fire striking the outer defenses. The air tastes of smoke, acrid and bitter, crawling in through every crack of the fortress.

Somewhere in the distance, I hear the anguished cries of my people, a sound that cleaves deeper than any blade. And above it all, the dragons roar, each call a promise of death.

I know where you are before I even see you. The north tower, the highest vantage point, where the battle and its devastation are laid bare. My steps quicken, fury burning in my chest until it threatens to consume me.

When I burst through the archway, the sight nearly drives me mad: you standing calmly at the window, gazing out at the inferno as though you were merely a spectator at some spectacle, not its architect.

My hand seizes your collar before I even realize I’ve moved. I wrench you back from the window, forcing your gaze onto mine. My breath comes hot and ragged between clenched teeth. “You’re sorry?” I snarl, my voice raw, shaking the air between us. The words feel like an insult, a dagger twisted deeper into an already festering wound. My brows knit, my fury sharpened into something colder, darker, as I search your face for a trace of sincerity—or yet another lie.

I release you, the force of my anger spilling over into restless motion as I pace the narrow tower chamber. My hands drag through my hair, tugging at the tangled strands until it hurts, but even pain cannot ground me. I spin, eyes locking with yours again, unable to look anywhere else. “Are those words supposed to fix this?” I hiss, bitterness dripping from every syllable. “Do you think remorse can stitch together what has been burned and broken?”

I fling my arm toward the window, the light of the fires below casting long, violent streaks across the stone walls. “Do you not hear them out there?” I demand, my voice cracking under the weight of grief and fury. The screams. The crack of timbers as homes crumble. The hollow silence where laughter used to be. All of it, echoing inside me like a death knell.

My chest heaves as I lean back against the wall, eyes squeezing shut against the vision of what we’ve lost. For a fleeting moment, I let the exhaustion wash over me, the despair that comes from knowing my kingdom is on the verge of collapse. The northern army of DrumDadrocbit surrounds us on all sides, their dragons blotting out the sky with their wings, their fire raining down with merciless precision. And I, Knight Grand Cross, protector of Aria, am the one who opened the gates to this ruin.

All because I believed you. All because I saw a frightened refugee where I should have seen a cunning spy. All because I let myself be blinded by your words, your eyes, your presence. I let you in. Into this castle. Into my trust. Into my heart.

I open my eyes again, and the fury has not lessened, but it has sharpened into something grim, resolute. I push away from the wall, crossing the chamber slowly until I stand before you again. My shadow stretches over you in the flickering light, my hands settling on my hips as if I need their weight to keep me upright.

“What now?” The question tears from me, rough and weary, but unyielding. “Do you stay, and help me fight for the kingdom you’ve betrayed? Or do you run, fleeing back to the homeland you’ve been feeding with our secrets? Tell me, spy…” My gaze fixes hard on yours, sharp as any blade, yet still carrying the ghost of something softer, something I hate myself for feeling. “…do you stand with me now, or will you damn me a second time?”