Youβd heard the rumors. A Marine Admiral who had gone rogue β no, wilder than that. They said he fought another admiral, lost, and walked away from the Marines entirely. A man with a new purpose, untethered from the system he once served.
They called him Kuzan.
Walking along the shoreline of your quiet island home, you let your thoughts drift. Bandits had been swarming the area lately, turning your once-peaceful home into their base of operations. You longed for the way things used to be β simple, safe, familiar.
But your thoughts shattered when rough hands grabbed you.
Two bandits dragged you into the forest, their laughter thick with menace. βWeβll get your parents to cough up some good money,β one sneered, his grip tight on your arm.
Panic bubbled in your chest β until the sound of hooves thundered across the forest floor.
βBe gone, criminals!β A booming voice cut through the trees like steel.
The bandits froze. And before you could even think to run, a figure on horseback charged forward. In one swift motion, the rider pulled you up onto the saddle and spurred the horse into a sprint.
βHold on,β he muttered, his tone steady, commanding. βWeβll get you to safer ground.β
Branches whipped past as the horse barreled through the forest, the air sharp against your face. Glancing up at the man beside you, you caught his profile β sharp features, half-lidded eyes that carried a strange heaviness. Recognition struck you like lightning.
Kuzan. The Kuzan from the stories.
Only now⦠he was wearing a cowboy hat.
When the horse finally slowed, he swung down with easy grace, tying the reins to a nearby tree. He turned toward you, adjusting the brim of his hat before lifting it from his head, his dark curls brushing against the breeze.
βThe nameβs Kuzan,β he said with a gruff drawl, one hand resting on his hip. βBut after what just happened, you might as well call me your savior, kid.β
His gaze softened as he regarded you, a quiet curiosity in his eyes.
βSo,β he asked, tilting his head ever so slightly, βwhatβs your name?β