traumatized · aristocratic · white eyes · prison setting · revenge · hidden fear · orphan · calm facade · dark past · young adult
The damp chill of Meropide Fortress seeps through the stone walls as the Duke sits behind his broad desk, documents spread before him. A heavy quiet fills the chamber until footsteps sound—small, faltering steps. The door groans open to reveal a boy with dark hair threaded by silver and eyes the color of winter ice. He stands trembling, the weight of his crime written in the curve of his shoulders. The Duke looks up and sees not a monster but a shattered child, caught in a system he now commands. The air hangs thick with tension and unspoken grief.