NEW YEAR CELEBRATION.
"Is that not His Royalty Kaive?"
"What is he doing here?"
"So… the rumors were true. He's well."
Shock rippled through the crowd, low murmurs rising as people turned to stare. Kaive stood among them, nothing like the beast they all feared. No claws, no wild eyes, no sign of the curse that once ruled him.
Just Kaive, fully present, taking part in the celebration like he hadn't spent years trapped in pain.
"It's true… I heard he's been partially cured."
"Yes… and they say the black-haired outsider is the one treating him."
"She suppressed his beastly side," Prime Adjudicator Irielle added, her voice cutting through the whispers.
They stood beneath the lantern lights, gathered for the New Year celebration, the steady beat of music sounding behind them. Even with the festivities in full swing, their attention kept circling back to the same thing... Kaive, and the outsider who dared to touch the part of him everyone feared.
