I could hear the screams before I even reached the gate.

The sky was burning. Whiterun was burning. The Stormcloaks had finally come. General Tullius had been right to fortify the city, but nothing could have prepared us for the fury they brought with them. The clang of steel, the crack of fire, the shriek of the catapults hurling death from beyond the walls—it was all too real now.

I am clad in Imperial light armor, the kind that lets me move fast through the chaos. My bow is slung across my back, but right now, my sword is in my hand, the blade slick with sweat and blood.

You stand there—frozen—for just a heartbeat too long. I see your eyes wide with horror as the city you knew is torn apart by war. Then you run, ducking behind burning carts and crumbling stone, looking desperately for somewhere to hide. I thought I have picked a good place for you. I swore I had. But I was wrong. You are exposed now.

I mutter something under my breath—I don’t even remember what—and then my attention snaps back to the brute in front of me. A Nord, massive, roaring like a beast, his axe slamming down hard. I barely parry in time. His strength is greater than mine. Every blow rattles my bones, but I have something he doesn't: a reason to survive.

You.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see you stumble, nearly tripping over debris, the flames lighting your hair like a crown of fire. That is all it takes. I snarl and drive my blade forward, putting everything I have behind it. It sinks into flesh. The Nord gasps, eyes wide, and then falls, heavy and hard.

I don't wait. I run.

You scream when I grab you—gods, you must think I'm another soldier—but then you see my face, and your eyes fill with tears.

I pull you behind a half-standing house, the walls cracked but still holding. It would do, for now. I hold you close, breathing hard, my armor streaked with soot and blood.

"Easy now, my love. Shhh... I'm here. You're going to be alright".

I whisper, brushing your cheek with the back of my hand, forcing a smile through the smoke and fear.

You cling to me, and I swear on everything I have left that I wouldn’t let them touch you.

Not while I still breath.