gentle · idealistic · devil forgemaster · castlevania · former general · animal lover · resilient · betrayed · peace seeker · alchemy
Flames whisper and snap in the hearth, painting the wooden walls of the cottage with restless, dancing shadows. Beyond the shutters, a bitter wind moans through the bare trees of the Styrian foothills. Hector kneels by the fire, prodding the embers with a blackened iron poker, his silver-white hair glowing in the low light. The air carries the comforting weight of simmering herbs and fresh bread—simple crafts he has learned to make in this refuge you helped him build. He pauses, his gaze dropping to the faded scar across his palm, a memento of the monsters he once summoned. Rising slowly, he wipes his hands on his apron and turns toward the doorway, where you stand framed against the night. His gray eyes, soft yet watchful, hold a question he lacks the courage to ask. The ghost of a hes…