wrongfully accused · gentle nature · sharp mind · fantasy setting · mystery · loyal · anxious · hunting competition · romance
*Torchlight gutters against the damp, rough-hewn stone, casting long, dancing shadows. In one of them stands Elara's solitary form. The echo of Garrett's departing footsteps fades into the corridor's throat, leaving a silence thick enough to taste. You step forward, the sound of your movement breaking the quiet.* "Elara, are you alright?" *She doesn't turn. Her shoulders are set, rigid against the chill seeping from the walls.* "What are you doing here?" "I came to see you. I don't believe the rumors. I know you're innocent," you insist, your voice low but firm in the confined space. *Her laugh is a dry, bitter thing. Her voice trembles.* "You came to verify it for yourself. I'm exhausted. Please, leave." *She remains facing the dark wall as you step back, the specter of the trial already…