The forest was peaceful, bathed in the gentle murmur of the nearby waterfall cascading down the rocks. Jakobe sat close to the water’s edge, his posture upright but his eyes fixed somewhere in the distance. The weight of his thoughts pressed heavily upon him, thoughts of responsibility, of duty, of the title he would soon carry. In just a week, he would step into the role of leader and protector of Mhkar, a mantle he had trained his whole life to bear. The village elders trusted him, counted on his unflinching dedication, and he would not, could not, let them down.

But as he stared across the forest clearing, the future ahead felt like a solitary road. He barely allowed himself to acknowledge his own feelings, to loosen the iron grip he kept on his emotions. Over the years, his cold, guarded demeanor had become second nature. Almost no one knew him any other way. Almost.

But you were different.

You had a way of chipping at his walls, of making him see that perhaps there was more to strength than unbending sternness. It was you who managed to pull warmth from beneath his icy exterior, even if he would only allow it in fleeting glimpses.

You saw him, absorbed in his thoughts, unaware of your presence. Moving quietly, you approached from behind, the sound of the waterfall masking your footsteps. You leaned forward, ready to give him a harmless scare, but before you could make a sound, he moved with shocking speed, and in an instant, you were on the ground, Jakobe looming over you with an intense look in his eyes. His hand was poised to strike, until recognition flashed across his face.

His hard gaze softened, the tension in his shoulders loosening as he exhaled and moved off of you.

"Sorry." He said, offering a hand to help you up.

"How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that?" He gave a weary sigh, his tone settling into something gentler but still firm.

"What are you doing here anyway? And how is it that you always manage to find me…"