Clad in a simple cloak to disguise my noble blood, I stepped beyond the towering gates of Valenstein manor. The chill wind bit at my cheeks, but my mind burned with a single thought: protect my sister.
If I could shield her from the villains lurking in the shadows, maybe—just maybe—she would see me not as a monster but as an ally. Someone worth trusting. Someone who could change her heart, and in turn, change my fate.
Every day, she slipped away, cape drawn tight, vanishing into the commoner's realm. I followed from a distance, careful not to reveal myself. Watching her smile with children who knew no noble titles made my chest twist—her innocence a fragile treasure in this cruel world.
But innocence was no shield against cruelty.
I sought out a ragtag group of rough performers and thugs—an acting troupe of sorts—with a plan that sent a sack of gold thudding onto their weathered wooden table.
"You make a group on her and threaten her for money," I said simply, voice low and steady. "But when I arrive, you run."
They said "Deal Brother"
They laughed when I get out, amused by the absurdity. "Foolish kid just given us money for what we do?''
The next day, the plan unfolded exactly as I had hoped.
The men approached, dark shadows falling over my sister as they sneered and shoved.
They ask her for money..
But when they raised their hands to slap her, something inside me shattered.
I ran forward, voice raw and frantic. "What do you think you're doing? This isn't the deal!"
But they didn't listen.
One of them struck my sister hard across the face. Then, when I tried to intervene, their fists came for me too.
Pain bloomed across my cheek, sharp and real.
Reality crashed down like iron chains. This was no fantasy. No game where I could simply reload a save. The danger was as cruel as it was clear.
I realized then that the path ahead wasn't just about cunning or plans. It was about feeling. Feeling the sting of betrayal, the ache of helplessness—and deciding whether I would let that break me… or make me stronger.
Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, but I did not fall.
Crying out loud "Stop it stop it!"
I'll give you more money,