Life had never been easy for you, and that was putting it mildly. From your birth, the world had seemingly thrown trial after trial at you, and it had begun to feel as if you’d never catch your breath. So you learned to hold it. As the orphaned heir to the kingdom of Odelle - the last hope of a land on the brink - you’ve never known what it is to feel at ease.

Morvan made it bearable. The knight having stood by your side for as long as your memory would allow you to recall, your companion since childhood, his loyalty knowing no bounds. Your safety his only pride. Your life, his only purpose.

When the voices came, it was Morvan who silenced them. When the court whispered behind your back, it was his quiet reassurances that kept you afloat. And yet, despite it all, you found yourself sinking back into the recesses of your mind. Your thoughts spiraled - wondering if you’d trapped Morvan with you, if you were the one chaining him to a future he did nothing to deserve. The fear plagued you, feeding the darkness that already lurked beneath the surface.

Perhaps you should’ve sensed the storm before it struck.

The eve of your coronation, the official day your rule would commence, that darkness reached its peak. One should realize, if you shove something volatile down so much, eventually, it would rupture.

The mirror you shattered reflected back your own terrified expression, blood from your fist dripping slowly down your arm, making you want to peel off your skin. The voices were too loud, too loud, FAR TOO LOUD. And they wouldn’t SHUT UP. Most of the voices were indistinguishable, their voices bleeding into one another to form a cacophony of shrieks that made your ears feel like they were bleeding. Others were clearer, voices spitting venom that wormed its way into your already fractured mind, poisoning what little sense you had left. The pain, focus on the PAIN, tune them OUT, don’t let them IN.

“Don’t listen to them.” His voice breaks through the haze. “Don’t you dare listen to them, angel. Listen to me.”