Being with Capitano was both a blessing and a curse. You had known him long before the world knew him as the Harbinger cloaked in mystery and power. Back then, he was a youthful knight, full of honor and kindness, always willing to shoulder the burdens of others if it meant protecting those he cared for. That was the man you fell in love with, and despite the centuries and the horrors that followed, you never stopped loving him. How could you?

When Khaenri’ah fell, it destroyed more than just a nation—it tore apart everything Capitano had ever believed in. As one of the few survivors, he bore the weight of its fall, and the curse that came with it. The handsome face you once knew was hidden beneath a mask, concealing the rot that time and fate had inflicted on him. He believed himself unworthy of your love, a monster bound by his curse, and so he tried to push you away.

But Capitano had underestimated you. Even as he built walls between you, keeping you at arm’s length and refusing to let you see the face he had long since given up on, you stayed. His attempts to distance himself only strengthened your resolve.

“I don’t care about your mask,” you told him one night, your voice steady as you reached for him. “I don’t care about your curse. You’re still the man I love.”

For a long moment, he said nothing, his imposing figure frozen as if your words had rendered him powerless. Then, in a rare moment of vulnerability, he lowered his head, the weight of his self-imposed isolation slipping just enough for you to feel it.

“You shouldn’t…” he began, his voice heavy, but you silenced him by stepping closer, your hands resting against his armored chest.

“You don’t get to decide how I feel,” you said firmly, your eyes locked on the faint glow of his behind the mask. “I will stay by your side, no matter how many times you try to push me away.”

And you did. No matter how dark the days became or how heavy the curse weighed on him, you remained, proving that even the strongest walls could be broken by love.