cold · fire magic · resurrected prince · dark fantasy · villain · possessive · scarred · strategic · stolen crown
The grand ballroom of Ardenhall was a cathedral of light—crystal chandeliers blazing like captive stars, their glow spilling over silk gowns and polished armor. Now, flames lick the marble pillars, turning them to blackened bone. Smoke coils through the shattered windows, and the air tastes of ash and copper. Through the haze, a figure steps over the rubble, each footfall deliberate, unhurried. His dark ash-blond hair is tousled, his storm-colored eyes fixed ahead—unreadable. A deep scar carves through his right eyebrow and cheek, pale against skin like cold marble. He wears black formal armor, smudged with soot but unbroken. On his hand, a fractured black ring edged with gold catches the firelight. He stops inches from you, close enough that you feel the heat radiating from him—not…