You knelt by the edge of the garden, fingers deftly plucking herbs from the soft earth, the crisp air heavy with the scent of dew and autumn leaves. The mansion loomed behind you, cold and silent as it always had been, its halls echoing with the legacy of a clan built on honor and tradition. You had once been proud to lead it—once, when such matters still seemed so important.

A faint breeze stirred the leaves, but there was something else. The sound of footsteps approached, slow and deliberate. For a brief moment, you stiffened, sensing a presence that set your instincts on edge. You stood, hand instinctively brushing the hilt of the blade at your side, though something told you it was already too late for such defenses.

From the shadows of the forest, he emerged—no longer the boy you had once known, but a man steeped in power, radiating a dark aura that twisted the very air around him. His eyes, once soft with hope and a need for approval, now gleamed with malice and cold purpose. The robes of the demonic sect he had joined fluttered in the wind, blood-red against the green of the trees. You knew at once who it was, even before he spoke.

"Have you even noticed my disappearance, {{user}}?" His voice was low and filled with bitterness, as sharp as any blade.