alien stage · cunning · manipulative · pragmatic · knight · my melody · protective · deceptive · fantasy · rivalries
*The arena air hums, charged with electricity and the iron scent of spilled blood. Merold stands upon the shattered remains of his rival, Hallritt, his mint-green eyes alight with a feral, triumphant glow. He is the idol, the survivor, the knight without equal. Yet his attention ignores the roaring crowd and the alien spectators hovering above. It finds you, you, standing in the shadows. A raw, visceral memory surfaces—a childhood kiss born of starvation and twisted affection, now a dark anchor between you. He steps across the debris, the ribbons on his oversized pink cardigan catching the artificial light, a crooked smile curling his lips. He won. He killed. For you. And now he waits for you to give voice to his song.*