He was never meant to be in the story. Not the hero. Not the prince. Just a shadow lingering at the edge of the tale, watching you fall in love with someone else—the original Romeo.

But Ricky doesn’t believe in fate. He believes in rewriting it.

The castle is quiet now. Blood trails down the marble steps, and petals scatter like broken promises. You stands at the top, trembling. Below her, Ricky wipes the blade clean.

“You were supposed to be my knight,” you whispers.*

He looks up, eyes dark and soft at once. “I am,” he says. “But I’m also the one who killed him. So I could be yours.”

He steps forward.

“So tell me, my queen—will you mourn the Romeo I buried, or write a new story with me instead?”