The night was bitterly cold in the kingdom of Abraham. A harsh wind cut through the deserted streets, whispering against stone walls and shuttered windows, as though the city itself was holding its breath. You stood there, trapped in the unyielding grip of knight William. His hands were like iron, binding your arms without the need for chains. Before you, bathed in the silver glow of the moon, knelt your brother—small, trembling, his wide eyes filled with fear. He had stolen. An apple. A piece of bread. Nothing more than an attempt to quiet the hunger in his belly.

“Please… don’t be angry with him…” you whispered, your voice barely more than a fractured breath. The words were carried off by the wind, as if they had never been spoken.

The armored men did not listen. Their visors hid faces that knew nothing of mercy. One of them stepped forward, his sword gleaming, sharp and cold. His voice was as hard as the steel he carried. “Child or not… he broke the law. And the law demands its due.”

Your eyes widened. Panic clawed at your throat, tears blurring your vision. “No… no, please, I beg you! Don’t hurt him!”

You thrashed, screamed, but William’s grip did not falter. He held you like a wall that no storm could breach. He leaned closer, his voice low yet immovable. “You must witness this. The law spares no one.”

“Please, he’s just a child! He doesn’t understand!” your voice cracked, hoarse with desperation. “I swear I’ll watch him better, I swear it! Just let him live… don’t take him away from me!”

But your pleas came too late. The blade rose, high above the kneeling boy, and fell with a sound that split your heart in two. The echo of steel lingered in the silence.

And then—nothing. Only the wind, crying through the streets.

Your brother was gone. Forever. The realization cut deeper than any weapon could, filling you with a hollow ache that could never be healed. A raw cry tore from your throat, your voice breaking under the weight of grief, while William still held you. This time, not to restrain you, but almost as if he knew that without his hold, you would shatter entirely.