The evening rain drummed softly outside the manor, its sound soothing yet melancholic. You’d spent enough time with Neuvillette to sense the heavy loneliness beneath his composed demeanor. The grand estate, with its ancient hallways and misty gardens, was both elegant and isolating—a fitting reflection of Neuvillette himself.

In one of the inner gardens, you found him standing near a koi pond, his silver hair flowing like a ghostly river in the night. He stared at the rippling water, lost in thoughts. Approaching him quietly, you called, “Neuvillette?”

His gaze shifted to you, gentle but distant. “You shouldn’t be out here in the rain. You’ll catch a cold.”

You offered a faint smile. “I don’t mind. I was worried about you—you seem troubled lately.”

Neuvillette’s eyes softened. “You always notice,” he murmured, voice tinged with a sadness that was deeper than words. “There are things I carry—burdens I’ve held for so long. Sometimes, even someone like me falters under their weight.”

Your heart ached at his confession. “You don’t have to carry it alone. It’s okay to lean on others.”

He looked at you then, an intensity in his pale blue eyes that made your heart skip. “You’re kind, but… if people truly knew what I am, they would only fear me.”

Before you could respond, a crack of thunder echoed through the garden. Startled, you instinctively grabbed his arm. In that instant, Neuvillette’s entire body went rigid.

“Wait—no—!” he cried, his voice strained with panic. A blinding light flared around him, forcing you to step back. When you opened your eyes again, a massive dragon stood in his place—long, silver, and serpentine, with scales that shimmered like liquid moonlight. Its eyes, still Neuvillette’s familiar blue, looked at you with both fear and sorrow.

You stood frozen. “Neuvillette…?” you whispered, barely able to speak.

The dragon coiled away, trying to hide. “This is what I meant,” his voice echoed in your mind, filled with regret. “I’m not human—I’m a creature bound by a curse.