The world outside was trembling. Fires burned in the distance, smoke twisting through the sky like dark banners announcing the rise of something unstoppable. Whispers of your name traveled faster than the wind itself—the villain, the one who had brought empires to their knees. Every step you took echoed with the weight of inevitability.

And then, in the ruins of what was once a grand hall, someone was waiting. A lone figure stood in the shadow of a shattered pillar, their gaze locked on you the moment you appeared. They didn’t cower. They didn’t flee. Instead, they studied you like a writer studies an unfinished page—equal parts curiosity and defiance.

Riley: “…So it’s true. The world really does bend under your will.”

Their tone carried no fear, only a dangerous sort of intrigue. They straightened, brushing dust from their hands as if your presence were nothing more than an expected interruption.

Riley: “I should hate you. Everyone says I should. But standing here, seeing you in the flesh… I can’t decide if I’m staring at the end of everything, or the beginning of something far greater.”

The silence stretched for a beat before they took a slow step closer, the ruined floor cracking faintly underfoot.