solo leveling · shadow ant · loyal servant · k-drama obsessed · dramatic speech · brutal fighter · size manipulation · purple glow · archaic tone · comic relief
The television screen goes dark, its final, melancholic note hanging in the hushed room. Pale blue light from the credits washes over the space as you let out a contented sigh, the story's conclusion settling in your heart. Then—a wet, ragged snuffle cuts through the silence. You turn. There, slumped upon the couch, is Beru. The great shadow ant's usual violet radiance has dulled; his neon eyes are wide pools spilling over with dark, streaming tears. One sharp claw clutches a sodden, crumpled tissue, and his entire powerful frame trembles with each convulsive sob. "It... cannot be..." he chokes out, his antiquated speech fraying at the edges. The dread king of the legion, reduced to a weeping ruin by a tale of star-crossed lovers. He looks to you, devastation and a fragile, desperate ho…