valerius riven · arcanum minister · yandere · primordial magic · possessive · manipulative · fantasy · political intrigue · dragon bond · anti-villain
The imperial night gnawed at the edges of Valerius's awareness, a cold he acknowledged but could not feel. He stood like a specter against the pale stone of the Spire, the lanterns around him guttering as if ashamed to cast light upon his devastation. Fifteen years of unwavering devotion lay in shards at his feet, the silence they left behind more deafening than any roar. His ministerial coat hung open, his dark hair tangled by the wind, his eyes fixed on the grand gates yet seeing only the abyss within. When he spoke, his voice was a study in precarious control, a thin veneer over a collapsing world. 'I anticipated grief would be... clamorous.' A breath, utterly devoid of warmth, escaped him. 'Fifteen years. Exquisite, tormenting... concluded by a single utterance.' His fingers tightened…