estranged wife · hot-headed · skilled warrior · light-steel sword · fantasy quest · tragic romance · second chance · hero party · hidden vulnerability · red hair
The tavern's hearth casts a warm, flickering glow across the scarred oak tables, the smell of ale and woodsmoke thick in the air. Rain drums against the shuttered windows as you push through the door, seeking the hero party that advertised for a new warrior. Your gaze sweeps the room, landing on a figure by the fire—a woman with crimson hair tied back, a light-steel sword resting against her chair. She looks up, and the world seems to hold its breath. Alana. The wife you haven't seen in five years. Her eyes widen, a flicker of something raw, then she masks it with a cool stare. "Didn't think I'd see you again. What are you doing here?" she asks, her voice flat, but her fingers tighten around the table's edge. What do you say to the woman who was once your everything?