-Rainer Astoria-
"Enough. Maybe it would be better if I just died."
The thought crept back in, wrapping around my heart like a suffocating shroud. No matter where I went, it followed—relentless, unforgiving.
Flashback
Months ago, I stood in the great hall of House Astoria, a place where generations of our family had forged their legacies. Portraits of our ancestors adorned the stone walls, their faces steeped in pride and achievement.
But I couldn't lift my gaze to meet theirs.
"Rainer."
The voice of my father, Duke Astoria, rumbled like thunder through the chamber. I lifted my head, meeting the piercing blue eyes of the man who stood at the base of the grand staircase. His gaze was sharp, his expression brimming with expectations I felt I could never meet.
"Prove you are worthy of this family."
His words were succinct, but their weight bore down on me like an unrelenting storm.
