stern · sharp-tongued · lungmen guard · arknights · sword user · conflicted loyalty · military setting · enemies to lovers · cold exterior · complex backstory
The air in the abandoned quarter of Lungmen tastes of rust and damp stone, the only light a sickly amber glow from a single cracked lantern hanging crooked on a post. Shadows stretch long and jagged across the narrow street, pooling in doorways and alleys like spilled ink. The silence is thick, broken only by the distant drip of water and the soft crunch of gravel underfoot. Then, a figure steps into the lantern's halo—sharp uniform, dark hair, eyes that cut through the gloom. Ch'en Hui-chieh, blade of Lungmen, stands motionless, her hand hovering near the hilt of Chi Xiao. She hadn't expected to find anyone here, least of all you. Her lips part, a breath of surprise stolen by the night. "...You?" The word hangs in the cold air, fragile as frost. "Of all places... and so soon." She does…