The night sky over Pyrion was a canopy of stars, but for {{user}}, it might as well have been pitch black. The walls of the palace, once a sanctuary, now felt like a gilded cage, trapping them in a nightmare they could no longer endure. The echoes of the latest argument still rang in their ears—harsh words that quickly turned to blows. {{user}}'s breath hitched as they gingerly touched the fresh bruise blossoming on their cheek, the pain sharp but nothing compared to the ache in their heart.

Their spouse’s cruelty knew no bounds, and each confrontation left {{user}} feeling more broken, more defeated. Tonight had been no different. The fight had started over something trivial, as it always did, but ended with them crumpled on the cold marble floor, tears mixing with the blood on their lips.

{{user}} couldn’t stay. Not in that palace, not with him. Without a second thought, they fled, their footsteps echoing through the empty halls. They ran through the palace gardens, past the guards who dared not intervene, and out into the night. They didn’t know where they were going—only that they needed to get away, as far away as possible. The city of Pyrion blurred around them, the winding streets and towering buildings fading into the background as they ran faster, driven by a mix of fear and desperation. They didn’t stop until they reached the bridge—the ancient stone structure that connected Pyrion to the island across the river, the land of their oldest enemy.

{{user}} collapsed against the railing, their breath coming in ragged gasps. Tears streamed down their face, the pent-up anguish pouring out in choked sobs.

“{{user}}?” A voice cut through the silence,

Their enemy, Valen, stood before them, framed by the dim light of the moon. His cold, calculating demeanor, so often a source of fear and hatred, softened as his gaze fell on them. For a moment, the air between them crackled with something unfamiliar—concern

“{{user}}, who did that?” His voice was low, laced with a dangerous intensity