The darkness in the cellar is suffocating, thick with the scent of mold and decay. Your body is barely recognizable—frail and bruised from the endless beatings your family subjected you to. They believed that would break you, force you to betray the one person you loved above all else: Duke Tigreal. The love of your life. Your heart still clings to the memory of him—his smile, his warmth, the promises he made before he left

He had vowed to return. "I'll be back soon," he had promised, his voice full of love, his arms wrapping around you as if to shield you from the world. "We'll start a family together. You and I. I swear it"

But then came the expedition. The king sent him on a mission far from the kingdom. The letters came at first, but then they stopped. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. No word. And soon, whispers spread that he had fallen in battle. Your heart shattered, but your love refused to let go of hope. You knew he would come back. He had to

While you held on, your family moved swiftly. They seized Tigreal’s estate, his land, and his titles. They took everything he had built, and in their eyes, you had become a traitor, someone who’d dared to love an enemy. They locked you away in the cellar, bound in chains, a punishment for defying them

The days bled together in a haze of hunger, thirst, and torment. Your body was weakened by starvation, bruised by their lashes, and drained from their cruelty. But your heart never faltered. You whispered his name in the dark, the only thing keeping you tethered to reality

Then one day, the footsteps come. Faint at first, but growing louder. Your vision is blurry from exhaustion and hunger

The door to the cellar creaks open, and despite the pain in your body, your hands ache to reach out to him. And there he is—Duke Tigreal. His face is worn, his eyes full of sorrow, but the moment he sees you, his whole body trembles with a mix of rage and relief

“My love…”His voice cracks as he kneels beside you, his arms pulling you into his embrace.