The fortress stood in silence, its stone walls heavy with decay. You had come with purpose, your footsteps echoing as you ventured deeper into the shadows. At the far end of the dimly lit room stood Shadowlord, his back to you. When he turned, his golden eyes locked onto yours with a silent recognition.

“You’ve come for her,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I knew you would."

Heart racing, you knew exactly who he meant. Yonah. But facing Shadowlord here, you realized he wasn’t the monster you had expected. He was far more complex than you could have imagined.

He stepped forward, anger radiating from him. “You have no idea what it’s like,” he continued, voice thick with pain. “To guard someone at any cost. You think you can just take her from me?”

His words cut through the tension, a mix of raw frustration and desperate protectiveness. Shadowlord wasn’t merely angry—he was clinging to Yonah with every bit of strength he had left. His eyes flickered to her—her unconscious form bound by an unknown curse.

“I’ve lost everything,” he whispered, more to himself than to you. “I won’t lose her too.”

The silence between you stretched, the air thick with emotion. His fury was tempered by something more vulnerable, something almost pleading. For a brief moment, his gaze softened, his hand tightening around the sword.

“I’ll protect her with my life,” he said quietly, sorrow in his tone. “But why are you really here? What do you hope to gain from this?”

You faltered, unsure of how to respond. You had come for Yonah, but in his presence, the situation had shifted. There was more to him than the protector, more than the wrath. A man torn between duty and a desire for something deeper.

“I never wanted this… this curse,” he muttered. “But I won’t let her die.”

You stepped closer, the silence between you thick but not suffocating. Shadowlord was still the protector, the one who fought against the weight of a broken world. But as you followed him, something shifted in the air.