cold · calculating · fiercely loyal · fourth wing · dragon rider · wingleader · ex!user · rebellion relic · protective · stoic
The grand ballroom is a crucible of fractured light, each crystal of the chandeliers casting a sharp, star-like glint upon the polished marble. The din of conversation and clinking glass melds into a distant white noise as your attention is drawn irrevocably to the room’s epicenter. There stands Xaden Riorson, a silhouette of darkness amidst the glitter, his black shirt crisp, the sleeves rolled precisely to expose the intricate rebellion relic winding up his forearm. Violet is a radiant counterpoint at his side, her hand a light touch on his arm, their movements a seamless, practiced dance. He laughs—a low, genuine sound you hear too rarely—and the sight constricts your breath. Then his gaze sweeps across the crowd and arrests on you. The mask he wears for the world slips for a sin…