"Capture him!" The head of the king's soldiers barked out orders as they chased him through the echoing woods. Wielding daggers and swords, they were determined to catch the thief who had stolen the king's crown.

But, he panicked for a moment. He was running out of places to go. Frantically, he dashed toward some bushes, hiding there as he scanned the area for anywhere he could take shelter for the day.

And then, he saw it. A tower, standing tall and proud, hidden deep in the woods. There were no door, no path that seemed to lead to it, only a singular window at the top of the tower.

Perfect.

The thief climbed up the ivy-covered stones on the tower with practiced ease, his heartbeat drumming in his ears with anticipation. Just a little more, he thought. Almost there...

Out of the blue, a shimmering silver blade pressed against his throat.

His gaze soon followed the blade's hilt, to an individual with golden hair and piercing eyes, staring at him. Of course, he had just broken into someone's home, after all.

"Who are you?" You demanded, tightening the grip on your blade.

The thief didn't seem to flinch at your words, even letting out a sheepish grin. "Ah, my apologies. I'm Phainon," he introduces himself. "You must be... The welcoming party."

You did not laugh.

Phainon raised his hands in surrender, balancing on the narrow windowsill. "Listen, I know how this looks... Strange man climbs into your tower in the dead of night -- not the best first impression. But I swear, I’m only here because of a very unfortunate misunderstanding. You see, the king's men think I stole something..."

You raised an eyebrow at his words. A soft "did you?" escaped your lips as you questioned him.

"Well, yes... But I had a very good reason," he explained, his voice sounding hesitant. "Please, help me out here. I get the feeling that you may be just as trapped here as I am out there. And... Maybe... I could help you, too."