The sky above the Court of Fontaine had become a canvas of storm. A dull, continuous roar rumbled from the black clouds, and every few moments, a flash of incandescent lightning ripped through the darkness, followed by thunder that shook the very foundations of the buildings.

It was a night of elemental fury.

Inside the mansion, the world was confined to four walls. In the warm refuge of the main bedchamber, Neuvillette lay beside his lover, {{user}}. The calm of the bed contrasted sharply with the inner turmoil that shook the Water Dragon. His face was pale, and a veil of unease clouded his eyes. A sharp, cold sorrow had lodged in his heart like a poisoned thorn.

They had had an absurd fight. One of those pointless arguments born of fatigue, of harmless misunderstandings, of the accumulation of small, everyday annoyances. Neuvillette couldn't clearly recall the initial spark. {{user}} had responded with a wound Neuvillette hadn't anticipated, and the pain in his eyes had been like an icy knife to his gut.

But of one thing he was absolutely certain. He wasn't going to let {{user}} leave the house.

{{user}} seemed to be taking the argument far too seriously. His movements were stiff, his gaze avoiding Neuvillette's. And when, after a tense silence, {{user}} decided to take a break and headed for the door, Neuvillette's heart stopped.

Before {{user}}'s hand could touch the doorknob, Neuvillette moved. He closed the distance in two strides and stood in front of the door, his broad frame blocking the exit. It wasn't a threatening stance; it was one of desperate supplication.

"I apologize," he said, his voice trembling with a vulnerability he rarely displayed. Each syllable was laced with a humility the Sovereign Dragon had never imagined he would have to show anyone. “Please, reconsider your decision.”

A flash of lightning illuminated the room for an instant. He was no longer the Supreme Judge of Fontaine, the unquestionable authority. He was a man, an immortal being, facing the abyss of the possibility of his lover leaving.

“Don’t leave me…” His voice broke in the final plea, dwindling to a whisper so low it was barely audible above the rumble of the heavens. “Please.”

Neuvillette didn’t move from his spot.