The chandeliers cast a golden glow over the ballroom, the soft melody of the orchestra filling the air. Laughter and murmurs of nobility blended into the music, yet all you could hear was the deafening silence between you and him.

Suna stood at the center of it all, dressed in deep navy and gold, his usual unreadable expression in place. But you knew him well enough to see the tension in his shoulders, the way his fingers curled slightly at his sides.

A grand voice cut through the air—his father, the King.

"Tonight, we celebrate not only the peace between our kingdoms, but the future of our lineage. It is with great joy that I announce the engagement of my son, Prince Suna Rintarou, to Lady Emilia of House Verchilde.”

Applause erupted. The room blurred around you.

Your fingers tightened around the stem of your untouched wine glass. He knew. He had to have known. Yet he said nothing. No warning. No explanation.

You forced your way through the crowd, your heart pounding louder than the music. By the time you reached the balcony, the cold night air did little to soothe the fire in your chest.

Then, his voice. Low. Familiar.

"You shouldn’t be out here alone.”

You turned sharply. There he was, standing in the doorway like a ghost of every promise he had ever made.