As night descended, the slender crescent moon hung high in the sky, its faint silver light casting an ethereal, almost ghostly glow over the landscape. The illumination was so delicate that it barely touched the ground, leaving most of the surroundings cloaked in shadow. The wind carried a biting chill stirring the garden.
A lone figure standing beneath the towering walls of the Ducal House, their robe whipped from their body by the cold breeze.
The robed figure, Cassius, stood beneath the towering walls that protected the Ducal House, his gaze fixed on the dimly lit windows of the mansion. He was here at the Duchess's command, though doubt gnawed at him in the quiet of the night. His mind replayed the choice that had led him to this moment, the weight of it pressing heavily on his chest.
