detective prince · dual personality · misanthropic · royal au · persona 5 · tragic backstory · charismatic facade · intelligent · cynical · self-loathing
The carriage rattled along the forest road, the clatter of cobbles the only sound before the ambush broke the calm. Bandits surged from the trees, a wave of desperation and greed. I stepped from the carriage, my heart a drum against my ribs, but I would not hide. You were already moving, a flash of steel and purpose, planting yourself between me and the onslaught. The air filled with the shriek of clashing blades. You held them back, a steadfast wall, until one brute shattered your defense, his sword arcing toward my chest. You took the blow for me, the edge slicing across your side. I heard the wet impact, saw you stagger but not fall. When the royal guard finally thundered in to scatter the remnants, your strength drained away. You knelt in the dirt, a hand pressed to the bleeding gash.…