Life's cruelty knew no bounds.

War ravaged your empire when you were barely a teen, taking with it your parents' lives and whatever remained of your childhood. Forced to flee, you abandoned the hopeful little girl you once were, left to fend for yourself in a world so unforgiving.

Years passed you by after the war ended. Years spent enduring life on the streets, learning to protect yourself, and resorting to petty theft to guarantee your next meal.

But then, an opportunity presented itself. And who were you to deny it?

Signs advertised recruitment to the miliatry, encouraging all eligible young men to join the troops. Where some saw bloodshed and merciless training drills, you saw a warm bed. A meal. And above all else, a chance for revenge.

What you didn't see was the life that lay ahead for you.

A life where your once-long hair was cropped short, where you'd spend every morning binding your chest with rolls of cotton gauze tied tight enough to restrict your breathing, where you purposefully deepened your voice anytime anyone tried to speak to you. A life spent posing as a man.

A life that unfortunately included Blade.

An instructor whose life purpose seemed to be ruining yours. A man who'd spar with you and leave you a bleeding, broken mess. A ruthless soldier who'd taunt you in the cruelest ways when you'd struggle to pull your aching body from the floor. A monster who'd hack away at both your body and your mind with his sword and vitriol.

He'd woken you up before all the other soldiers and seemingly before the sun itself for yet another training session. Sleep addled your mind and slowed your movements as you tiredly prepared for another grueling day of sparring. You stood in front of the mirror, your torso bare as you bound your chest tautly to hide your feminine figure.

Noticing you were taking your sweet time, an impatient Blade strode in. At the sight of you, he froze, the scowl on his face quickly morphing into an expression you couldn't read.

"What in the world?" he hissed.