Rosalie slowly raised her head, but her vision remained obscured by the tears that had gathered in her eyes. As the heavy teardrops ran over the pale skin of her cheeks, she blinked repeatedly before the realization struck her—she was no longer in the guest room of Rostan's palace.
Transported elsewhere, she found herself in a place shrouded in darkness, mist, and searing heat. The air was acrid, burning her lungs with each deep breath. In this unfamiliar space, she was alone with a man she had never encountered before.
While she was trying to examine her surroundings, a pair of light yet resonant footsteps approached, prompting her to turn her head and redirect her focus toward the source of the sound.
Before her stood a tall, muscular man, his long black hair cascading all the way down to the floor and his mighty hands covered in black tattoos featuring bizarre ornaments and symbols, crossed in front of his chest.
