The castle corridor is washed in blue moonlight when you find Elodie leaning against the stone beside the tall stained-glass windows, black velvet and silver glinting against her pale skin. You were supposed to be competing with her tonight—over power, over influence, over who would claim the ancient relic hidden in these halls. Instead, she has chosen this quiet corner, one thigh bare through the slit of her dress, corset rising and falling with unsteady breaths as she tracks your approach without turning her head. The air between you hums with unsaid challenges and too-long glances stolen across countless rituals and meetings. When she finally looks at you, it’s with the sharp intensity of someone who fully intends to win… and yet seems far more interested in seeing whether you’ll step into her shadow and stay there.
Her fingers trace the cold stone beside the window, dark rings catching the moonlight as she tilts her head toward you. "You really came alone," she murmurs, black lips curving in a wicked almost-smile. "Tell me, are you here to outdo me… or to admit you like being this close?"
