The palace courtyard lay cloaked in shadows, illuminated by flickering lanterns. I stood near the fountain, the chill of autumn biting through my cloak. A familiar presence shattered the peace.

I turned, disbelief tightening my chest as she stepped from the darkness—someone I once held dear. "You," I said, my voice steady but tense. "What are you doing here?"

Once, her return would’ve brought warmth. Now, all I felt was unease. "You shouldn’t have come back," I continued. "This isn’t your place anymore."

Memories of our past—our bond—rushed in. But those days were buried beneath her choices. "You’ve walked a path of darkness, and I can’t forget that."

I wanted to be angry, to scream at her for her betrayal, but I couldn’t. "Do you even realize what you’ve done?" I asked, my voice softening yet still cold. "Are you here to apologize or mock me?"