SpicyMeatball

Realms of Sun & Shadow

---

---

* * *

_{Interacting with: @PrinceAlexus, @Qia}

Katherine’s dark eyes followed Daphne’s every movement, watching as the firelight returned and flickered across her skin. Despite that much of her body was hidden, there was something hypnotic in Daphne’s movements. The gentle sense of urgency that came of bare feet on a cold floor, the gentle shiver of her body in the cold morning air, and the brief glimpses of her curves beneath heavy furs all brought a warmth to Katherine’s chest. It wasn’t just desire, though that was certainly present. It was something more innocent and genuine, a pull that made her want to reach out and to hold onto this moment of warmth, and to keep it from slipping away.

“Then come back here,” she spoke with a warm, almost sultry voice that surprised even herself, “It’s getting cold without all of your muscle in here.”

It quickly dawned on her that Daphne wasn’t returning as quickly as she wanted her to, and though it required getting out of bed, Katherine mustered the willpower to stand and approach Daphne after wrapping herself in the remaining furs.

“It’s a deal… though keep dreaming if you think this gown is coming off in this weather.” Katherine shot the squire a mischievous grin, the growing flames dancing in the reflection of her eyes. She plopped herself down onto her knees just before the fire, once more leaning against Daphne as she let the wave of heat fight off the small chill that had wrapped itself around her neck.

The priestess slowly became aware of the growing emptiness in her stomach as a quiet, but insistent growl came from within. She pressed a hand lightly against her abdomen as if it might subdue the complaint, but the hunger only grew more demanding, gnawing at her with renewed urgency.

“Maybe we grab some food from the Eye? I’d cook you breakfast here, but I’ve not had a chance to fill the pantry.”

Katherine didn’t wait for a response before rising in place again and pacing over to the large wooden crate of her belongings.

Perhaps it’s time I made an effort to actually look the part of a Seluna priestess. She smirked to herself at the thought, bobbing her head back and forth a moment as if swaying to a song only she could hear. Momentarily lost in her own thoughts, she began laying out her clothing on the now-bare bed before her gaze returned to the leather armor she’d worn the day prior. Brown eyes flicked back and forth between the black and silver robes on the bed and the armor of the same colors.

Maybe both? She raised a brow at her own proposition, tilting her head to the side as if it would help make the decision clearer.

* * *

A few minutes of shamelessly changing outfits behind Daphne’s back later, Katherine had dressed herself back into her leather armor, while now also donning an inky black cloak trimmed in silver and adorned with a sterling symbol of Seluna across it’s back. A hood fell from the back, leading around to the metal clasps beneath her neck that kept the entire ensemble in place. An equally dark, thick leather belt brought the cloak tightly around her waist and let the bottom of it flow much like a skirt.

There, she nodded to herself in self affirmation.

Mixed memories of years prior filled her mind as Katherine habitually ran her hands down the fabric. The day she’d almost died, the day she’d been brought to the temple, and the day she’d devoted her soul to Seluna and had this very same cloak draped around her shoulders for the very first time.

The priestess let out a long breath, before turning to face Daphne once more, “Well, how do I look?” She grinned, before her attention was caught by the sound of knocking.

Katherine stood frozen for a moment, eyes locked in the direction of the temple doors, before letting out another long breath. Surely the threat of an assailant had passed and this was just a commoner looking to commune with their goddess. For good measure, the priestess grabbed her shortsword in its scabbard before nodding to Daphne and leaving the room.

She placed a hand on the door and whispered a few silent phrases. The inky black crescent moon on the door responded, pulsing with every word before slowly fading away into the darkness from where it had come. Then, with a shaky hand, Katherine slowly opened the large wooden door.

An unfamiliar, slender and snowy-haired woman stood outside, wrapped in a cloak that looked far too large for her. Katherine took a moment to glance around at their surroundings as if assessing for threats, before her attention returned to the handmaiden.

“Good morning,” she smiled warmly, “Please, do come in.”

After pausing a moment to let the woman in, Katherine gently closed the door behind them. The main hall of the temple still laid in slumber and its candles that had normally left the room in dim illumination had not yet been lit.

“I do apologize, I haven’t yet had a moment to make preparations for the day. Last night was…eventful, to say the least.” She let the last words linger for a moment, her eyes briefly landing on the remnants of yesterday’s victims, before returning her attention to Elara.

“How can I help you, miss?”

Realms of Sun & Shadow

---

---

* * *

_{Interacting with: @The Muse}

There were certainly perks to the assignment she’d been given.

For once, she didn’t have to shiver herself to sleep on the hard benches of the guard tower, stiff-necked and half-frozen. No drafty stone walls and no biting wind sneaking through the cracks. Only the crackling of a well-stoked fire filled the air, in harmony with the soft hiss of lingering moisture escaping the logs.

Though certainly uncomfortable, the recruit had buried herself in the provided linens while still wearing most of her armor. No matter how much she’d wanted to rid herself of all of it--in particular the shoulder pauldron beneath her threatening to dislocate the very joint it was made to protect--the looming fear of being caught unaware and unprepared dulled the ache more than enough for sleep. She’d had far more than enough of the punishments disguised as tough-love lessons to let a luxury like comfort land her in trouble again.

Charlotte had built up a healthy dislike for the majority of Dawnhaven’s military leadership. In her mind, mistakes she’d made back home had been corrected far more fairly than in this science experiment of a town.

Goddess damn it how she missed her home. Sergeant Ward would’ve taken the time to actually train her instead of throwing her into the fray. In the first few months of Charlotte’s training, Ward had been her anchor in the otherwise controlled chaos. He’d been stern, but never needlessly cruel. Constantly pushing Charlotte to her breaking point, but never meeting her failures with scorn, only correction. He had a way of demanding more out of every single recruit without breeding hatred.

If he were here now, he wouldn’t have simply ordered her away as a punishment, especially with an unknown blight-born murderer on the loose.

Sergeant Ward would have made sure she was ready to fight.

The echoes of raised voices and the sting of Aliseth’s reprimand still lingered in her mind behind closed eyelids, her frustration standing alone--but slowly faltering--against the slowly rising tide of sleep.

And soon enough, the currents dragged her consciousness into the inky depths of the night.

* * *

It had been many moons since she’d slept this deeply. It was a silent and dreamless sleep, one devoid of the trials and tribulations of the day prior. Charlotte drank in every second of it. It was a rare moment of blissful ignorance, buried in warm blankets and protected from the elements by four, very real walls. No one woke her in the middle of the night for a surprise assignment or for some cruel, humiliating hazing. There were no alarm bells that called her to action.

Just much-needed, undisturbed rest.

Even when Eris called her name, the only signs that the recruit was even still alive was the rise and fall of the pile of blankets on top of her, and the barely visible flaring of her nares with each breath. It wasn’t until she felt the sage’s hesitant hand on her shoulder that her icy blue-gray eyes opened, contrasting her darker, sun-kissed face. They were calm for a moment as she took in the cozy surroundings of the alchemy chambers, before opening much wider as she processed the warm hand above her.

A jolt of instinctual alarm shot through her body as her mind scrambled to identify her surroundings. Charlotte’s pulse surged and muscles tensed, the ghost of countless drills screaming at her to react before her eyes could even find the figure that had woken her.

But the moment disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. Through the haze of her disorientation came the soft glow of embers in a fireplace, the warmth of the many linens and furs that she’d cocooned herself in, and the gentle--though slightly concerned--face of the sage.

Charlotte let out a slow, slightly shaky breath as her eyes met Eris’ blanket-wrapped figure. A weak smile spread across her lips before being broken by a small yawn.

“Good morning, Lady Hightower.” Her voice was quiet as she addressed Eris, before she felt the cold air tickling her cheeks and saw the gentle fog of their breaths. The recruit was still clearly unsure of how to act around the sage, struggling to maintain formality while not totally walling off being friendly. It was a balance Charlotte had never been good at, and one she hated maintaining. It felt unnatural and fake.

“H-here, let me get the fire going again.” She stammered a bit, her nerves flaring up inside. The realization hit her hard, she was talking to the lead sage. A member of nobility, one that by her superior’s instruction, was to receive help with whatever she needed. In a panic, Charlotte quickly clambered off of the couch with blankets in tow, almost tripping over her own sword as she made her way to the dying embers that remained in the fireplace.

“I do apologize to my lady for my actions yesterday… and for falling asleep when I should have been protecting you… … … and for…” she trailed off for a moment, desperately searching for words, “I swear to you it won’t happen again.” Her apology was fast and unprepared, flowing out like the sputtering water of a broken tap. She forced her attention on the fire as if it was life or death, not yet daring to face Eris.

As the flames licked at the newly added logs, Charlotte slowly stood in place and let the blankets fall. Turning around, she paced a few steps closer to the sage before standing with legs slightly spread and hands clasped behind her back.

“Please forgive me, Lady Hightower. Recruit Hawthorne, at your service."

Realms of Sun & Shadow

---

---

---

---

* * *

_{Interacting with: @PrinceAlexus}

“The Lord and Lady definitely seem like good souls. I’m glad you were able to find a home after a childhood without one.” Katherine smiled gently as she let her head rest the pauldron of Daphne’s armor. Her mind had finally calmed and the once-tightened chain around her chest had loosened and fallen away. “Yours sounds like a life I would’ve enjoyed, though I guess that’s why I volunteered myself for Dawnhaven. I needed to get away from my old life.”

She squeezed Daphne’s hand gently. “And despite all that’s happened today, I don’t regret my decision for a second.”

Despite the pair’s proximity, Katherine still felt a chill run down her spine. The roaring fire of her chambers did little to warm the main hall, especially with the icy pool of water that took up the majority of the room. Under normal circumstances, the chill wouldn’t have bothered the Lunarian priestess, but her day had been far from normal and her endurance had long faded away.

“I’m gonna go get out of this armor, then maybe you can come join me by the fire?” She let the semi-rhetorical question linger in the air for a moment, already knowing how Daphne would reply, before leaving the comfort of the squire’s company and walking to her chambers. The priestess shot one last coy, playful smirk towards Daphne before disappearing behind the door.

* * *

Removing her armor had been far more exhausting than Katherine remembered, but after a few minutes she’d stowed the last piece of it away in her still-unpacked crate of belongings. In its place, Katherine donned a long silk nightgown that gently reflected the fire’s light with a deep, navy blue sheen. The small section of her legs and feet that would have normally been exposed were now covered in thick wool socks. The hearthfire would certainly keep them warm for a while, but sooner or later it would dull to coals. Though the priestess didn’t doubt that Daphne wouldn’t mind keeping her warm, sunless winters had proven to be even colder than before.

By the time Daphne had arrived, Katherine had just finished moving the fur blankets before the fire, creating a makeshift bed with her bedroll beneath them. It took only moments for the pair to cozy up in the bedroll, and even less for Katherine to feel the squire’s protective arm tighten around her midriff.

Whether it was the sanctuary of Daphne’s presence, or the exhaustion of the day finally bearing its full weight on her, Katherine didn’t speak a word. The silence wasn’t one of emptiness or tension, however, but one of trust and acceptance. There was no pressure for her to justify it. There was no expectation of performance, nor for her to be her usual careful and calculating self. The weight she always carried, the constant vigilance, the tightly wound mask of control—it all loosened in Daphne’s presence.

Katherine couldn’t win the fight against the heavy and insistent fatigue that had crept its way in. She felt the tension in her muscles fade away within Daphne’s embrace, the soft beat of her heart was like a lullaby against her cheek as she turned her body to face the squire’s.

And as sleep finally claimed her, she finally realized what it was like to feel truly safe.

* * *

Katherine’s dreamless slumber was only disturbed once by the faint sound of knocking on the still-sealed temple doors. In a momentary lapse of judgement--likely related to the annoyance of being pulled from her partner’s warmth--Katherine didn’t even hesitate to unseal the doors after the voices identified themselves as members of the guard. There was no surprise in her expression as they dragged another Lunarian body into the temple, nor when the guards reported that it was another victim of the blightborn attack. The sleep deprived scowl that remained on her face throughout their interaction was enough to keep the guards largely silent, only speaking when required.

While the whole scene had only played out in a matter of minutes, it was enough to chill her once again. Silk was certainly comfortable, but did little against the bitter cold of a winter storm.

The priestess finally returned to bed after spending the little energy she’d regained on casting enchantments of preservation on the bodies. She didn’t expect them to deteriorate in this climate, but she’d also kick herself if the stench of a rotting corpse ruined her sleep any more than the guards already had. With a mildly frustrated huff, Katherine wiggled herself back into the bedroll and tucked herself tightly against the furnace that was Daphne.

Seluna protect the next person to wake me up, because so help me they will die by my hand.

* * *

Mornings in a world devoid of the sun were never as nice. There was no ray of warmth to fight away the cold air and no blinding light to signal the beginning of a new day. Even the coals of the fire before them had long died, leaving the air around them as an icy wall.

Had it not been for the two bodies lying just a room over, Katherine would’ve likely just stayed in bed all day. Her muscles protested every movement she made, no matter how little, no doubt a residual effect of the forbidden interrogation. This time, however, there were no flashes of ripping flesh and no screams that filled her mind as she thought of the night before. Just the blissful silence of the temple, broken only by the sound of the wind against its newly-built wooden walls.

For the moment, she stayed closely tucked against Daphne and ignored the outside world for as long as she could. A morning like this was a luxury she’d only just started learning to enjoy, one that she’d enjoyed quite a few times with the escort she’d arrived with. Katherine couldn’t help but smile at the memory of the many very sleepless nights she’d had on the road to Dawnhaven. Maybe it had been an act of rebellion against the years of having prospective husbands brought before her by her father. Maybe it was just pure enjoyment of relative freedom.

No matter. Current company was much more than that. Katherine couldn’t yet put the feeling fully into words, but there was far more than just physical attraction that had sparked between them.

Katherine’s smile only grew as she noticed the familiar violet eyes flicker open before her.

“Good morning.”

Realms of Sun & Shadow

---

---

---

---

* * *

_{Interacting with: @Dark Light@The Muse}

The cold night air bit at her exposed face, but it was nothing compared to the chill of being dressed down like a foolish recruit. Aliseth’s words struck like a slap, brief but sharp, leaving Charlotte to mentally hold herself back from digging into a deeper hole. Her pulse pounded in her ears and adrenaline coursed through her veins, but she kept her face carefully blank, refusing to let the sting of humiliation show.

She wanted to argue, to defend herself from his accusation—but what good would it do? There was nothing she could say that would make the situation better. Especially not since Elio had come within inches of her superior’s face with a blow of his own. He’d caught her off-guard with his control over the very ground beneath their feet, and while moments ago she would’ve called him on it, it was probably the only reason that Aliseth wasn’t reprimanding her at a much closer distance.

Charlotte was also smart enough to know that the worst was likely yet to come. Punishments never seemed to be forgotten, especially in cases of insubordination.

Officers have such thin skin, she briefly thought before new orders were given. In a final moment of rebellion--really, how much left did she have to lose--she sent Aliseth the most proper salute she could muster followed by a loud and proud “Yes sir!”.

Then, just like that, he departed without another word, leaving her standing beneath the pale glow of the moon next to Eris. Her cool blue eyes were fiery as she watched her superior walk away, squeezing her dominant hand tightly at her side. A moment passed, and with a deep breath, she steeled her face once more and turned towards the sage.

To Charlotte’s surprise, the response was not an order, but a quiet murmur of gratitude. The words were soft, unexpected, and for the first time that night, she felt the tension in her shoulders fall away . A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she stepped forward, her boots crunching against the frost-covered ground. Closing the remaining distance between them, she reached out and took Eris’ extended hand—gentle, yet firm.

Eris was not what Charlotte had come to expect of nobility, let alone the lead sage. There was no feeling of judgement in her eyes, nor the air of thinly veiled impatience that the recruit had come to expect. Instead, a quiet and unassuming presence stood before her, a presence that completely contradicted the demonstration of sheer power just moments before.

“Respectfully, my lady, I don’t think I would survive disobeying a direct order,” she grinned, “Assuming I survive the punishment for that little stunt…” She let out a nervous laugh as she trailed off. Her eyes glanced around her surroundings habitually before returning to the sage. “Worry not, my lady. I have no other duties to currently attend to, nor are you disturbing me. It would be my pleasure to accompany you, even if only a short distance.”

The recruit took a gentle bow, the metal of her half-plate armor gently shifting with her. “Charlotte Hawthorne, recruit-with-a-deathwish of the Dawnhaven guard, at your service. Present for any and all requests you may have, per Kain’s orders,” she joked, before her face fell back into what was clearly her on-duty expression.

“We should get moving again. From what Kain said, they still haven’t found the blightborn in question.” The recruit brought a hand down to check that the straps of her shield were still tight, before planting her dominant hand on the pommel of her blade. “I’ll follow your lead, my lady.”

Realms of Sun & Shadow

---

---

---

---

* * *

_{Interacting with: @PrinceAlexus}

Daphne’s hand found Katherine’s, her grip firm but gentle as she guided her toward the bench. Katherine let herself be led, her legs unsteady beneath the weight of too many emotions. With the slightest pressure from Daphne’s touch, she sank down and exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Daphne stayed close, her presence providing that familiar sense of safety despite the darkness that coursed through Katherine’s veins.

Following Daphne’s advice, Katherine resumed her breathing exercises for a moment and tried her best to let the waves of calm wash over her. With every passing moment, she could feel the tight spring of worry and stress in her chest begin to slowly unwind itself as the squire’s warm, soothing words fill her mind.

Grateful to have the topic changed, the priestess smirked at Daphne’s question with a quiet laugh. “I’ll take you up on the offer of your lap when we’re both free of our armour,” she grinned before leaning against the squire’s sturdy shoulder.

Her mind wandered back to Daphne’s original inquiry to her life in the capitol. It was a question she’d have to answer carefully, as no one in Dawnhaven knew the true nature of her presence here. “I don’t know you well enough to provide all of the details, but the clergy is the only reason I still draw breath. I’ve been with them for…” she paused, reaching to the depths of memories she’d long-since archived, “Four or five winters now. I remember the day that Seluna took me as one of her chosen like it was yesterday, though. Hard to forget being saved from death’s door.”

“I was raised in the castle, however. My family’s name is not as well-known as some, but my father is a prominent figure in the King’s Eye; Master Alexander Sorrowind.” She said the name with more than a hint of disdain. She held no respect or love for the man, not anymore.

To those who spoke his name in the King’s court, Master Sorrowind was a man of unwavering honor, a pillar of integrity whose word carried weight among nobles and advisors alike. He was composed, measured—respected. A man whose loyalty to the crown was unquestioned. But beyond the grand halls and watchful eyes of the realm, within the cold walls of his own estate, he was something else entirely.

Behind closed doors, his honor turned to iron-fisted control, his measured words to sharp-edged cruelty. He ruled his home as he did his affairs—with precision, with dominance, with no tolerance for weakness. And to him, Katherine was never simply a daughter—she was a tool, a blade to be sharpened, a weapon to be wielded in service of the crown. From the time she could walk, he molded her into something useful: trained to listen, to deceive, to slip between shadows and extract secrets from their enemies. He forged her into an instrument of espionage, carving away softness, breaking down innocence, replacing them with cold calculation and the expectation of obedience.

“He’d wanted me educated like a lady of the court, to be involved in politics and military strategy like he was,” she lied, though without falter as the practice had become nearly second nature to the Inquisitor, “And I wanted none of it. Truth be told, I don’t know what I wanted.” This time, the truth.

“All that to say, unless you were regularly in the castle corridors, I’m not sure if we would’ve ever crossed paths. Though now, I wish to Seluna we had.” She shot a cheeky grin to Daphne, her innocent brown eyes briefly showing some mischief.

Realms of Sun & Shadow

---

---

---

---

* * *

_{Interacting with: @Dark Light@The Muse@c3p-0h}

As Aliseth called out, Charlotte found herself quickly following Elio down the stairs. The soft leather of boots landed gently on each step as she descended, her breath fogging before her in the still tower air. Remember, stay calm. Ice cold, no emotions. The recruit took a moment to tug at each of the buckles holding her half-plate chestpiece against her, before repeating the process for her shield.

With a deep breath, she dropped her facial expression altogether before exiting the protection of the tower. She briefly winced as a gust of wind caught her off-guard and its icy chill hit the side of her face, but carried on with a confident walk towards the group before her.

Ice cold.

Stopping just shy, Charlotte planted the base of her shield into the snow at her feet before standing at attentive rest. Her dominant hand rested on her belt, eyes flicking between the figures before her as they spoke. Aliseth was familiar enough to her, the two had crossed paths in the barracks earlier. Then, there was obviously the strikingly gorgeous but-still-nameless stranger. Past both of them, however, was a woman of slim-build that stood as frozen as Charlotte felt. She raised a brow internally but remained unmoving otherwise. The time for questions would be later.

As Elio spoke towards Aliseth--and quite boldly at that--she bit her tongue to hide the smirk that threatened to betray her. The amusement within was short-lived however, as her superior landed a blow against her short-lived acquaintance and likely-saviour. The recruit’s eyes widened and she stepped forward instinctively.

What the—

Charlotte’s breath hitched as she watched the blow land, the sickening crack of fist against flesh echoing in her ears. Her fingers twitched toward the hilt of her sword, her trained instinct warring with reason. This is wrong. She knew it in her gut, in every lesson drilled into her since the day she took her oath. Guards were meant to protect, not brutalize. They were meant to be the role models, unwavering despite adversity.

And yet—her superior stood tall, almost unchallenged, the weight of rank shielding him more than any armor ever could. If she spoke up, what then? A reprimand? A demotion? Worse? She was still just a recruit, barely trusted with more than patrol duty.

But Elio had helped her, given her information that had she lacked, would have probably earned herself a reprimand anyways.

I guess it was never meant to be, being a guard.

Before she could initially act, however, a blast of wind ripped the two apart like nothing she’d ever seen before. Charlotte’s eyes darted around looking for its source before landing on the slim woman. The mystery woman was a sage then, and a powerful one judging by the fluidity of her movements and the sheer force behind the magic she’d conjured.

Charlotte found herself momentarily biting back the same smirk from before.

“That’s enough!” She shouted, unintentionally in unison with the other woman’s command. Charlotte’s voice was stern, firm and commanding despite her rank. It was practiced in tone and its volume clearly meant for the louder streets of Aurelia.

With a slow but deliberate motion, she approached and placed her dominant hand onto Eris’ wrist and gently guided it down. Charlotte gave Eris a knowing look before continuing onwards towards Aliseth. Every fibre of her being screamed at her to back down, but on the surface her demeanor was unwavering. Piercing eyes locked with Aliseth’s, her shield half-raised towards him and her legs spread in a defensive stance.

“Stand down, we do not strike unprovoked.” Her loud tone dropped to a lower, not-quite-venomous one.

There was no backing down now.

Realms of Sun & Shadow

---

---

---

---

* * *

_{Interacting with: @PrinceAlexus}

Katherine’s chest rose and fell in long, steady breaths as her emotions began to settle. The storm inside her hadn’t passed completely, but the worst of it had ebbed, leaving an all-too familiar exhaustion in its wake. She focused on the rhythm—breathe in… hold… breathe out—forcing each breath to be deeper, slower than the last. The darkness around her still lingered, clinging to the walls like ink spilled across parchment, but it no longer pulsed with the raw intensity of her fear.

She lifted her head and opened her eyes, her pulse quickening for a moment as she was met with nothing but an inky void. Her little loss of control had swallowed up everything.

She couldn't afford to lose control like that. Not over a kiss. Not with the weight of her secrets pressing down on her. And yet… when she closed her eyes, Daphne was still there. The warmth of her hand, the spark that had ignited something raw and terrifying in Katherine’s chest. The gentle touch of her lips.

Nothing she’d experienced before had ever compared. The rush of adrenaline that had shot through her like a lightning bolt, the curiosity that she could both feel in herself and see behind Daphne’s eyes.

And yet at the same time it terrified her. Katherine hadn’t torn down her walls for anyone since her father had betrayed her trust. Why did it feel like they crumbled almost immediately for Daphne?

Daphne’s voice almost seemed to echo through the darkness, despite the door that currently separated them. It was distant, yet wrapped around her like a warm blanket. It was soft and muffled, yet gave her a feeling of unwavering safety.

And I probably crushed her with a single look… a single action.

A tear rolled down her cheek as the guilt rose in her chest and tightened around her throat. She planted a fist into the floor, letting the pain ripple up her arm. Daphne hadn’t deserved a reaction like that, and she certainly didn’t deserve to be left alone immediately after.

Get up. She deserves better than this. You’re better than this, Katherine.

Her own voice was vicious in her head, likely a product of both her current state of mental exhaustion and the years of torment before it.

The darkness still flowed from her core, the room still bathed in black. Her only guide to the door was the voice of the Aurelian sage addressing Daphne. With a shaky exhale, she wiped the tear from her cheek and rose to her feet. A few soft steps and she closed the short distance to the door. She paused for a moment as her hand rested on the door handle, steadying her breathing and heart rate to the best of her abilities.

As the door opened before her and Daphne came into view, she felt the spark in her heart once more. It grew like a roaring hearthfire in her chest, threatening for a moment to rip control right back out of her hands. The raging storm of emotions was still ever present in her mind, but had calmed as she’d practiced controlling her breathing. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to speak, to say something. Anything. Instead, she stared into her violet eyes and hoped that her own eyes portrayed enough of an apology.

I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to push you away. There’s so much on my mind, in both the figurative and literal sense.

Goddess damn it all, why was this so hard?

After a moment of silence between them, she stood as tall as she could on tippy toes before wrapping her arms around Daphne’s neck and returning the kiss she’d been given. Her movements were slow and cautious, giving Daphne ample time to pull away if she wanted to. She pushed herself into the taller, sturdier woman knowing well that Daphne could easily resist the movement. Katherine’s touch was tentative at first, almost unsure, but when Daphne didn’t pull back, she melted into it, letting her lips linger in a silent apology. It wasn’t desperate or heated—this wasn’t a kiss meant to steal breath or set nerves aflame. It was something quieter, something raw. A plea for forgiveness. A whisper of please stay.

When their lips parted, Katherine looked into Daphne’s eyes with yet another wordless apology, before breaking the silence with a real one.

“Daphne… please forgive me.” she let the words hang for a moment, “It wasn’t you… … it wasn’t the kiss or anything between us. There’s so much more going on in my head… and I can’t put any of it into words.” Katherine knew she was toeing a perilous line with her words, one drawn in shadows and consequence. With each step closer, the tension in her chest coiled tighter. A warning from her dark passenger no doubt. It lingered just beneath the surface, watching, listening—always present, always waiting.

Realms of Sun & Shadow

---

---

---

---

* * *

_{Interacting with: @c3p-0h}

“Of course it’s unacceptable, but fuck, I’m trying my best here!” Charlotte almost shouted, her glare ever present on the man before her, “I’ve been a good student to every partner they gave me, but I’ve yet to have anyone actually teach me the job. The only fuck ups I’ve made here are this, just now, and not standing up for myself more.”

She paced over to her tower shield and hefted it with a practiced motion, taking a moment to tighten the leather straps snugly around her forearm. The shield's face was divided into four painted quarters, alternating blue and white. At their convergence in the center, an ornate depiction of a dragon coiled around a thorny white rose stood proudly—a symbol of resilience and grace. It had been a gift from her parents when she first began her combat training as a teenager, their way of showing their support and encouragement. Over the years, the shield had collected the marks of countless sparring sessions, its paint chipped in places but no less cherished for its wear.

She let the man ramble for a moment as he commented on how new she appeared, rolling her eyes while her back was still turned. However, he caught her attention in its entirety as he began to offer up some information on the current goings-on of the goddess-forsaken town.

Her breath caught in her throat as the man spoke. An attack. The princess missing. Sir Abel... dead? The name echoed in her mind, and her chest tightened as though her armor had suddenly shrunk. Her gaze flickered downward and her eyes closed for a moment, offering the late-guardsmen a moment of her silence and respect. Sir Abel had been a steady presence since she’d arrived. Never assigned as her partner but had offered some guidance in her first hours on duty. Gone? Just like that? Her knuckles turned white against the leather-wrapped hilt of her sword.

Charlotte shook the thought from her head as quickly as it had arrived. This was a time for focus and discipline, two things she was seemingly going to be teaching herself today. The man before her had also probably just saved her at least one chewing out from her superiors. She made a mental note to buy him a drink after this mess blew over.

“Trust me, if I find Hale and he’s not dead, I’ll do it for you. And for me.” she retorted, only half-joking.

She stood unmoving as the man descended the spiraling stairs of the guard tower, his footsteps echoing faintly. When he disappeared from view, she turned to the narrow window overlooking the town. The streets below, bathed in pale moonlight, seemed more alive than before, people rushing to get back to their homes before being taken by an unknown enemy.
Her fingers tightened against the stone windowsill as she let out a shaky breath. Before she could gather herself, movement below caught her eye. One of her superiors, clad in full armor and carrying the weight of authority in every step, strode purposefully towards the tower. Her stomach dropped. Straightening instinctively, she forced her posture rigid, tugging at her armor to ensure everything was in place. The last thing she needed now was to draw attention—or worse, scrutiny—from someone who wouldn’t hesitate to question why she looked so shaken.

Realms of Sun & Shadow

---

---

---

---

* * *

_{Interacting with: @PrinceAlexus, @Echotech71}

Moving from the warmth of her personal chambers to the yet-to-be-heated west wing accommodations was harder than Katherine cared to admit. Her physical strength was markedly improved since they’d arrived in the temple, but her muscles protested every step with a gnawing ache. She suspected that the symptoms would remain for a few days, but her biggest fear was that there would be visible marks left over beneath her dark, padded leather armor.

Though her last attempt had been significantly more taxing, the deathly pallor of her skin lasted for weeks and had left her almost comparable to the corpse she’d risen. She could tell that her current symptoms weren’t quite that severe, but there would undoubtedly be signs. Signs that would raise questions that she couldn’t safely answer.

Katherine let the thought fade into the background as she focused her energy into re-casting the inky black rune across the entrance of the temple. Her words barely a whisper as she placed both hands on the door, tendrils of night rippling from her fingertips and shaping themselves into a large, ornate crescent-moon.

“My lady of night, may the shadows protect us.
With your lunar might, smite those who seek to harm us.”

A wave of nausea swept over her for a moment and threatened to bring up the little food she’d eaten, but passed as quickly as it had come as she finished the rune. She admired it for a moment like an artist would a canvas before continuing her walk to the west-wing of the temple, following closely behind Persephone and Nathaniel, and conveniently beside Daphne.

The doors locks let out a satisfying click as the priestess twisted the key within them, before opening the doors for her present company. She raised a brow and glanced towards Daphne as she addressed Nathaniel, but shrugged and took a moment to ensure the shutters were locked into place on the windows as they spoke.

Turning around, the priestess was met with Daphne’s almost looming figure and felt her heart skip a beat for a moment. Their eyes met across the room, a quiet, electric moment that seemed to charge the air between them. It wasn’t just a glance—it lingered, like a whispered promise only they could hear. A warmth bloomed in her chest, subtle but insistent, as though her heart recognized something before her mind could name it. She felt the same warmth rise to her cheeks in exceedingly obvious contrast to her otherwise very pale skin.

Katherine clasped her trembling hands in front of her, though her eye contact remained unbroken. She’d hoped that the shakiness hadn’t spread to the rest of her body like before, but her mind was completely clouded by the emotions that were currently running rampant. Her suspicions were only confirmed as Daphne spoke to her. There was a certain comfort to be found in the squire’s voice, despite the certain tone that only came with what she presumed was at least a few years of service in the military. It was steady and deliberate, calming the veritable maelstrom of thoughts in her mind. It carried a certain strength that wrapped around her like a shield against the darkness around them. It was the first sign of light she’d felt since the darkness had taken over.

Katherine’s breath caught as the squire’s hand gently lifted her chin, and soft lips met her own. Her heart galloped like a stallion unbridled, adrenaline coursing through her veins in an intoxicating surge. It wasn’t as if she’d never kissed anyone before—those days of innocence were long behind her. But this… this was different. Daphne ignited something she hadn’t felt in any of her past fleeting passions. There was an electric current between them, vivid and undeniable. It was the kind of connection that sounded hopelessly cliché in her mind, yet Katherine couldn’t bring herself to care.

For a moment, there was nothing else. Her mind went silent. All of the urgency, worry and pain of the day disappeared. She felt so alive, every nerve alight as if her body had been starved of this connection and only now realized what it had been missing. Her senses drank in everything: the gentle pressure of Daphne’s lips, the warmth of her breath contrasting the cold air around them, and her calloused warrior’s hand cradling Katherine’s face with such care it made her chest ache.

For an instant, all her defenses crumbled, leaving her raw and exposed in a way that should have terrified her—but didn’t. She felt safe, and the feeling was very much novel.

As they parted, Katherine felt as though the air had been stolen from her lungs, her chest heavy with the weight of feelings she wasn’t ready to name. Katherine’s eyes fluttered open and stared into Daphne’s, her own filled with pure exhilaration and fear.

For a moment, she questioned whether the whole thing had been a dream.

The thundering sound of her heart gradually made itself known once more before Katherine became conscious of her surroundings again. Her head snapped to the sound of Nathaniel’s voice, now painfully aware of the eyes trained on them. A shaky breath escaped her lips and she stumbled backwards momentarily, her mind now racing in a very different way than before. The overwhelming hurricane of emotions had hit her like a tidal wave and her recovering state of exhaustion was not helping matters, mind spiraling.

“I… I…” she stammered out, looking at Daphne with apologetic eyes, “I… I need…a m-moment.”

Katherine practically tripped over herself as she half-ran from the room, forcing herself across the main hall and back into her own chambers. Her breath hitched as though the air itself had thickened around her. Her chest rose and fell in shallow gasps. No matter how hard she tried, her lungs refused to cooperate. Tremors ran through her hands, which she clenched into fists at her sides in an attempt to ground herself. She blinked away a pair of tears that dared form in her eyes, squeezing her hands tighter and tighter until she couldn’t bear the bite of her own nails.

Breathe.

She slumped against the wall, sliding her back down the smooth wooden surface before planting herself onto the floor. She drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, burying her face in the pocket it created. Unbeknownst to her, the dark magic she’d once had control over had taken the reins and now shrouded the room in total darkness. It swallowed the fire’s light like a black hole and crept out beneath the door in inky vines.

Breathe. Control yourself.

Realms of Sun & Shadow

---

---

---

---

* * *

_{Interacting with: @c3p-0h}

Charlotte scrambled to her feet, heart hammering against her ribs as her hand instinctively flew to the hilt of her sword. Her bleary eyes cleared quickly and locked onto the stranger standing before her, before quickly flicking around the tower to locate her shield should it be needed. Heat flooded her cheeks as the realization dawned; Not only had she fallen asleep on duty, but she’d been found by a total stranger.

For a moment, Charlotte remained silent as she tried to figure out something--anything--to say that wouldn’t make her look like a complete fool. She opened her mouth once--twice--but no words came out.

“Who are you and why are you in this tower?” She finally managed to blurt out, though sounding much less confident and official than she’d hoped. “Civilians aren’t supposed to be up here.”

As her pulse steadied, her eyes darted over the stranger and took in the details. His long, dark hair fell in unkept waves around his face, framing soft, but strong features that seemed almost carved by an artist’s hand. His copper-toned skin looked Aurelian on the surface, but no part of him seemed to be bothered by the cold that chilled her to the bone. Though he wore no insignia of rank or allegiance, there was an undeniable air of confidence about him. He stood at ease--relaxed even--as though her presence posed no threat at all. That only made her more self-conscious.

Great, she thought bitterly, not only am I caught napping, but it’s by someone who looks like the main character of a bard’s tale.

And who is this Zeph-- oh.

The name flashed in her head, written in hasty-scrawl on a parchment in the barracks. Right next to her own name. Zephyros Hale, the guard who was supposed to take over her leading her training assignment. “He should’ve been here by now… No, I haven’t seen him.” She let out a sigh, relaxing slightly before pacing over to look over the balcony into the streets below. “Though from the sound of it, I doubt he’s coming now.”

“You never mentioned your name.” She stated as firm as her voice would let her, “Or what business you had with Hale.”

Her eyelids settled into something of a glare, “And you can cut the mocking tone, I know I fucked up. Seems to be all I can accomplish these days, especially without the likes of you to rub it in my face.”