I narrowed my eyes as I surveyed the scene before me. The crowd of scavengers swarmed over Evangeline’s belongings like vultures picking at a carcass. Their eyes glinted with greed as they tore through her life’s possessions. The sight of all her personal items scattered and trampled like garbage stirred a cold fury in my blood.

Evangeline quickly dismounted the nightmare’s back and rushed towards the crowd. “Stop!” she yelled, her voice rising above the din of the chaos. “Those are my things! Put them down this instant!”

Her words seemed to evaporate in the air, lost amongst the shouts and scrambles of the looters. They paid her no mind, their attention consumed by their own selfish pursuits.

“No… no, no, no!” she cried, her voice cracking as she attempted to salvage what she could with trembling hands. But she was too late. Her elegant clothes were torn and stained, her books were ripped and trampled, their pages mangled beyond repair. Some of her once-carefully crafted maps were now crumpled and useless, scattered across the cobblestones.

“My journals… my maps… everything…” She slumped to her knees, buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

Unable to bear seeing her in such a vulnerable state, I dismounted the nightmare and withdrew my kukris. My blades hummed, eager to taste blood. I was about to unleash my rage and tear into those greedy bastards who dared to desecrate her sacred belongings when Evangeline’s voice cut through my thoughts.

“My jewelry…” she whispered, her quivering voice raw with grief. “My grandmother’s necklace… it’s gone… it’s all gone.” Fresh tears streamed down her face.

I moved to her side, wanting to comfort her, but was unsure how. My anger was a cold, burning feeling in my chest, yearning to lash out and punish those who had caused her such pain. But I knew that wouldn’t solve anything. It wouldn’t bring back her stolen treasures. It wouldn’t erase all that she had suffered.

I approached the crowd. The scavengers, sensing a shift in the atmosphere, paused their plundering and turned their greedy eyes towards me. I white-knuckled my kukris and let out a guttural growl in warning.

“Leave! Now!” I barked.

They hesitated, gauging my resolve. I was about to advance when Evangeline pushed past me and stormed towards the apartment building.

Sheathing my weapons, I abandoned the bewildered crowd and rushed after her. Evangeline moved like a whirlwind of anger and sorrow. She seemed determined to confront this injustice head-on.

Inside the building, we discovered the door to her apartment was wide open. The single room was reduced to a hollow shell, stripped bare of all her possessions. The floor was littered with splintered wood, torn books, and discarded papers.

A man stood in the center of the room, sweeping up the remaining debris. He was a short, stocky fellow with a balding head and wore a greasy apron. Occasionally, he tossed loose sheets of paper into an already blazing hearth.

My hands inched towards my weapons again. “Who are you, and what are you doing in Evangeline’s apartment?” I demanded.

The man stopped sweeping and looked up with a scowl. “I’m the landlord, you son of a bitch, and Evangeline’s been evicted for unpaid rent.”

My eyes widened slightly at his arrogant tone. Unlike most of the locals who usually cowered in my presence, this guy was the complete opposite. His utter lack of respect grated against my already riled temper. “Who the fuck are you talking to?” I asked, my voice a low growl. I shifted my weight, my hands resting on the hilts of my kukris.

The landlord puffed out his chest, his jowls quivering with indignation. “I know exactly who—what you are, and I don’t give a shite. You’re just another punk in fancy armor. This is my property.” He gestured dismissively with his broom. “She was late on her rent, and there’s a paying tenant who wants this place. She’s out, and that’s that.” He returned to his cleaning and tossed more papers into the flames.

Evangeline gasped as she watched her precious parchments turn to ash. “No!” she cried, rushing forward to stop him. “My sheet music! Those are my songs! My life’s work!”

I got to him first. In a swift motion, I withdrew one of my kukris, the silvery metal glinting in the dim light with a promise of pain and retribution. I pointed the blade at the man, the tip hovering just inches from his throat. “Perhaps I should make an example out of you for your blatant disrespect.”

But the landlord didn’t flinch. He simply stood there, his chin tilted up defiantly as he looked down his nose at me as though daring me to strike. He appeared unfazed by my weapon, as if I had threatened him with a harmless child’s toy. The urge to sever his head from his shoulders was too tempting. His impassiveness was an insult that demanded a swift and brutal response.

“Your threats mean nothing to me, blackguard,” the landlord spat, looking me straight in the eye. “I’ve seen your kind come and go, strutting about with your weapons and your arrogance. You’re nothing but a passing storm, a momentary inconvenience.”

The shadows around me writhed, eager to devour him. I sneered. How dare this pathetic piece of shite treat me like some common thug! “You are mistaken,” I growled. “I am not a storm. I am the order that follows the storm, the inevitable reckoning of chaos. And you are about to feel the full extent of that reckoning.” I pressed the blade against his ruddy skin. The tip drew a thin line of blood. “I could end you right here, right now. But I’m going to give you one last chance to save yourself. Stop destroying her possessions.”

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Before I could say any more, Evangeline’s hand gripped my arm. Her touch was surprisingly firm. “My lord, please,” she said, her voice calm but strained. “Let me handle this.”

I stared at her face. Her expression was tight, but her gaze was steady and unwavering. There was a spark of determination in her emerald eyes, a quiet strength that both intrigued and impressed me. She was not the broken, crying woman from earlier. She had composed herself, her grief now channeled into a steely resolve.

Reluctantly, I lowered my blade, though the urge to punish him still simmered beneath the surface. This was her fight, her chance to show her own strength. If she was going to stand at my side, she needed to prove she was more than just a beautiful songbird. She needed to be able to handle herself, to assert her will in the face of adversity.

I sheathed my kukri and stepped back. “Very well,” I said to her, not taking my eyes off the landlord. “But if you fail, I will not hesitate to make an example of him.”

Evangeline nodded. Her grip on my arm loosened, but remained as if to both reassure me and to keep me at bay. Then she turned to face the landlord. “You have no right to do this!”

“I have every right, my dear. Rent was due three days ago, and you didn’t pay up. So now I’m cleaning up and making room for the new tenant. They’ve already paid in advance and are moving in right away, so you’re out.”

“Are you serious?” Evangeline scoffed, her voice rising in indignation. “I was indisposed! I have the money! Look—I can pay you right now!” She reached into her bag.

“Forget it.” The landlord waved her off. “You should’ve thought about that before you ran off when the rent was due.” He grabbed another stack of sheet music and turned back to the hearth.

“Stop!” Evangeline yelled, but the landlord ignored her and tossed the papers into the fire.

My anger flared stronger than the hearth’s flames, eager to put an end to this madness. But Evangeline looked back at me and shook her head. I hesitated, my instincts screaming for violence, but her quiet strength demanded respect. With a sigh, I conceded, allowing her to take control, but I remained ready to intervene if necessary.

“I have always paid on time,” Evangeline continued to the landlord. “I have been one of your best tenants. How can you do something so cruel?”

He snorted. “Cruel? This isn’t personal, my dear. It’s business. Rules are rules. If you don’t pay, you get evicted, plain and simple. Now, get the fuck out of here. And take your brooding boyfriend with you.”

My jaw clenched as I watched the landlord’s callous indifference. The way he dismissed Evangeline’s pain, treating her life’s work like refuse, added more fuel to my growing rage. But, at her behest, I reluctantly stayed my hand. This was her test, after all.

Evangeline scowled. “You speak of rules. You speak of business. But you forget that there is more to life than money and blind obedience. You have destroyed my belongings. You have destroyed my past. And you have done so with a level of cruelty that is truly sickening.” Her voice cracked slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.

The landlord shrugged. “I don’t have time for your sob stories, woman. I have more important things to do here. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” He reached for the last stack of papers, but Evangeline stepped forward, her hand closing firmly over his.

“No,” she said in a tight voice. “I may have lost my home, my possessions, and my past, but you have not broken me, and I will not allow you to further desecrate what remains. You think this is the end? That you’ve won? Mark my words, you son of a bitch. This isn’t over. I will have my retribution.”

The landlord simply laughed, a harsh, grating sound that echoed through the empty room. “I’m shaking in my boots.” He yanked his arm away and then tossed the remaining sheet music into the hearth.

Evangeline watched in bitter silence as the last of her compositions disintegrate in the flames. Then she slowly exhaled a slow breath and cast one last look at the landlord. “Someday, I will return, and when I do, you will remember this day. You will remember the way you treated me, the way you destroyed my life. And you will pay dearly for it.” Afterwards, she turned and walked away. There was no more to be said, nothing more to be done. Her past was gone, consumed by the flames and scattered to the winds.

My own rage still simmered beneath the surface as I followed her to the exit. When reached the doorway, I paused, looked over my shoulder, and locked my eyes with the landlord’s. I made sure to imprint his face in my memory—the greasy apron, the balding head, the dull, lifeless eyes. I would not forget him, not his arrogance, not his ruthless disregard for her suffering. He would pay for his actions. But the time was not now.

I joined Evangeline outside in front of her building. She stared at the ground, her shoulders slumped slightly with exhaustion and grief. The crowd of looters had mostly dispersed, leaving only scattered debris and broken remnants of her life.

“Evangeline,” I murmured.

She didn’t respond and maintained a blank stare, as if the very essence of her soul had been shattered.

“Evangeline,” I repeated, my voice a little firmer this time. I gently tilted her chin up. “Look at me.”

Her gaze slowly lifted and finally met mine. I could see the raw pain, hurt, and the pathetic remnants of her former life. But beneath all that, there was a familiar spark of defiance. One I had I recognized in myself.

“What now?” she muttered, her voice barely a whisper. There was doubt in her eyes, a plea for my guidance.

I placed my hands on her shoulders and gripped firmly. “Now, we move forward. Your physical possessions may be gone, but you still have me. You will always have me, Evangeline. And I will protect you.”

A faint smile touched the corners of her mouth. “Yes… I still have you. And that is all I need.”

I nodded in agreement. In the face of adversity, she had shown a flash of her strength and resolve. “You handled that situation well back there,” I said. “You didn’t break, nor grovel. You asserted your authority, even in the face of such callousness. That shows strength, something I value above all else. You’ve impressed me more than you know. One day, you will have your promised vengeance. But for now, we must cultivate patience. Use this time to grow stronger, to hone your edge.”

Evangeline looked up at me, her eyes searching mine. A hint of pink appeared on her cheeks. “Thank you, my lord. I know I have much to learn, but I will not be broken. I will never allow myself to be a victim again.” She paused and chewed her bottom lip. “And I will not be a liability to you.”

“You never were, and never will be, a liability,” I said, remembering Corvus’s remarks a while back about my attachments. “You have shown me that you possess the strength and determination to stand at my side. Now, Come. Let’s leave this damned city for good.”

I mounted my steed and then helped Evangeline settle in behind me. Her body pressed against my back, and her arms wrapped around my waist. Her touch sent a shiver down my spine. I relished the contact for a moment, her weight a comforting presence, and her warmth a welcoming contrast to the cold fury that still simmered within me.

The nightmare snorted, its eyes burning with a malevolent light. I urged it forward, and we turned away from the ruins of Evangeline’s past, leaving the city of Ebonheart behind. Like me, her old life was gone, reduced to ashes. But in its place, a new path was carved—a path of darkness and power that we would walk together.