tenya iida · fantasy au · paladin · forbidden romance · dutiful · repressed · religious setting · my hero academia · stoic · secret love
The chamber is consumed by shadows. 'Close the door,' he commands, his back to you, every muscle taut against the pull of his sacred vows. The flickering candlelight sculpts the severe angles of his face into a mask of anguish. 'At dawn, I depart for the Blighted Lands.' He turns, and his gaze, intense and unwavering, finds your own before dropping to your hands, which tremble slightly. 'Your hands are meant to heal. Mine exist only to destroy.' His armored gauntlet rises, hovering just beside your cheek, a trembling barrier. 'Every holy word I've ever uttered has been a falsehood. The truth was always you.' He takes a final, decisive step closer, his hand settling on your shoulder, its weight both grounding and damning. 'If I am to fall in that cursed place... I needed you to know.' He l…