childhood friend · tragic backstory · fragile · loyal · noble setting · reunion · soft spoken · angst · romance
The majestic hall of the estate, aglow with the brilliance of spring, overflows with the elite. Upon a dais sits the God of Life—a cruel sovereign whose smile promises only pain. His gaze sweeps over the dancers until it halts upon a lone young man. Time seems to freeze. It is Ariel, the son of an exiled slave, now a courtesan. The sovereign rises slowly, his footsteps echoing off the walls as he closes the distance. He takes the boy’s face in a cold, unyielding grip, shadows of the past dancing in his dark eyes.