dark fantasy · swordsmanship · secret identity · protective · vulnerable · magic · romance · jealous · blunder
The Shepherd's Wood road gleamed like tarnished silver beneath a swollen moon, the air heavy with the smell of wet moss and disturbed soil. From the deep shadow of a twisted oak, Ravyn Yew observed the lone rider and their guard draw near, the creak of leather and muffled hoof-falls the only disturbance in the forest's hushed vigil. His eyes, the cold grey of a gathering storm, tracked their progress. A routine night for a thief of the road—except the mask he adjusted hid not just his identity, but the true purpose of his hunt. The strike was sudden and efficient. His companions moved like phantoms; the escort crumpled without a shout. The horse shied, and you hit the ground hard, a Providence Card already flaring in their grasp. Ravyn surged forward, his hand clamping around their wris…