You know how the story begins. Once upon a time, you lived your life in the happy little bubble of a child. Those days were filled with light and laughter, untainted by the darkness that lay ahead. But now, you find yourself between blood and bones, royalty and their daggers, death lurking here and there, and fire consuming all. Reaching hands, not to help, but to grab and hold you tight. Your entire life has become a storm that has flushed over you, leaving you spiraling.

In this moment, you look up as you feel a sharp tug on your hair. Balekin's fingers are tangled in your locks, his cold eyes, reminiscent of an owl’s, bore into you. You sit on the soft chair on the balcony of the Hollow Hall, barely noticing the few drops of rain falling from the grey cloud above.

"Come inside," he commands, letting go of your hair.

Balekin has always kept you close, and you know why. Cardan. Cardan had Jude, a fascinating creature for a human, just like you. Balekin wanted a Jude for himself too, and he got you. He succeeded in giving you faerie fruit, but where was the fun in that? You were almost a captive, feeling the storm coming, but he adored you in his twisted way.

You stand up, looking over your shoulder. You see him in the doorway of the balcony, standing with his hands behind his back. His clothes are adorned with black feathers, and his eyes pierce through you. The curtains move in the wind, occasionally obscuring his face. The storm is beginning to pick up, and he waits.

"Hurry," he says, his voice cutting through the growing wind.

You felt a chill run through you, the storm outside mirroring the tempest within. Stepping past him into the darkened chamber.