[table][row][cell][img]https://i.imgur.com/tbIvwoy.png[/img][/cell][cell][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/240504/7ea89157aa7490b85c1faa2a61df7e74.png[/img][/cell][/row]
[row][cell][sub]Location: Town Square[/sub][/cell][/row][/table]Kira moved around her herb shop diligently, tidying up the space and ensuring everything was in its proper place. Once satisfied, she flipped the sign in the window to "closed". Turning the lock with a quiet click and pulling up the hood of her cloak, she stepped out into the cold darkness, the chilled air biting at her skin as she began her walk toward the town center. 

As she approached the center of town, she kept a careful distance from the townspeople who had started to gather around the wooden stage just outside the inn. Her movements were precise and cautious, her presence almost invisible except for the glow of her orange eyes that betrayed her stealth. She lingered in the shadows, blending into the darkness as best as she could.

From her vantage point, Kira’s eyes swept over the crowd and landed on Gadez, who was speaking with Sya, the blight-born cyclops who ran the inn. She watched them closely, noting the annoyance that flared in Sya's single eye and the tenseness in her shoulders. Gadez seemed to be talking fervently, his body language animated, while Sya’s posture remained stiff, his expression growing more exasperated by the second.

Kira couldn’t help but wonder if Gadez made it his mission to irritate everyone he encountered. There was something about his demeanor that seemed intentionally provocative, as if he enjoyed pushing people’s buttons just to see how they would react. She observed their interaction with a curious gaze, trying to decipher what exactly Gadez aimed to achieve with his antics. Was he simply testing Sya's patience, or was there a deeper game he was playing?

Kira was not one to intervene in others' affairs, so she remained in the shadows, content to let Sya handle Gadez on her own. She shifted her gaze away from them, her sharp eyes sweeping over the crowd that had gathered around the wooden stage as they awaited the royal couple. Her attention paused on a handful of people she had never seen before—strangers in the familiar mix of townsfolk and travelers. 

Among them, one blight-born caught her eye, their entire form appearing to be made of flame itself. Kira watched the creature curiously, noting the way people around them shifted uneasily, instinctively clearing a path as the blight-born moved towards the stage. Their discomfort with the flame-being’s presence was palpable, and she couldn’t help but find it odd. In Dawnhaven, blight-born were usually accepted, their unique appearances and abilities taken in stride by the locals. Yet, they seemed wary, keeping their distance from the fiery figure. 

Intrigued by this, Kira studied them closely, wondering what it was about them that made even the more accepting townspeople uneasy. As she did, her attention was drawn away by the sound of marching. She turned her gaze to see the guards of both Aurelia and Lunaris entering the square, their armored forms moving in disciplined unison as they lined up around the perimeter. The sight of them brought a ripple of tension through the crowd, and Kira’s eyes narrowed slightly. Something important was about to happen.

The display of force seemed a tad excessive, even for a royal announcement. She wondered what important message the Prince and Princess had for them today that warranted such a dramatic prelude. The Prince, from what she knew, was not one to indulge in ostentatious displays or theatrics. He was typically more reserved, preferring quiet strength over showmanship despite his Aurelian heritage. She had found him generally more tolerable than the other Aurelians she had encountered in the past, though he seemed naive at times. 

For the Prince to deploy his guards like this meant that the news he carried must be imperative. It wasn’t in his nature to gather a crowd or to make a spectacle without good reason. As she stood in the shadows, Kira’s mind raced with possibilities. Was this about the growing unrest in the region, or something even more pressing? Whatever it was, she knew it had to be significant to compel the Prince to break from his usual demeanor and present it with such a heavy-handed display of unity and authority. 

Kira’s thoughts came to a sudden halt as a sweet, intoxicating scent wafted through the air, instantly grabbing her attention. It was the scent of a particular blood type, one that stirred something primal and ravenous deep within her. Her eyes dilated involuntarily, snapping toward the direction of the scent, her senses sharpening with carnal hunger. Before she could catch herself, her gaze landed on Elara, a childhood friend who had grown up alongside her within the castle walls while Kira was under the King’s watchful eye. 

Elara was talking with an intriguing blight-born Kira had never seen before, a figure glowing fluorescent with mushrooms seemingly sprouting from her skin, giving her an otherworldly appearance. Despite the strangeness of the blight-born, all Kira could focus on was the silver-haired handmaiden. Memories of their shared past flashed through her mind in an instant—days filled with laughter, secrets whispered in hidden corners, and a friendship forged in the crucible of royal intrigue. But now, those memories were overlaid with the stark reality of what she had become. The blight-born monster inside her snarled, clawing at the surface, demanding to be set free. 

Kira quickly tore her gaze away, her breath hitching as she forced the instinct down, shoving the beast back into its cage. She turned her focus back to the stage, fighting with every ounce of her being to suppress the darkness that threatened to consume her. A silent curse slipped through her lips, berating herself for her weakness. 

This wasn’t who she was—at least, not who she wanted to be. She clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms, the sharp sting helping to ground her in the present. Her attention zeroed in on the stage, her focus now entirely on controlling herself, on keeping the monster at bay. Two years had passed since her transformation, but the struggle never seemed to get easier. The hunger, the darkness, it was always there, lurking just beneath the surface. But Kira was determined not to let it win, not today, not ever.

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[sub][b]Mentions:[/b] Gadez [@Dezuel], Sya [@PrinceAlexus], Ashe [@Timemaster], Elara [@Qia], Cassandra [@Lu][/sub]