The renowned city of Astral had not only been my place of residence for practically the current duration of my lifespan, but also my seemingly eternal cage. It was by far considered one of the most diverse and stunning cities in the region, home to thousands of different species and persons of different societal ranks and occupations. Anyone you meet could potentially be a kindhearted, eldery wizard or the precise opposite- a cruel, malicious thief that is constantly on the hunt for the weakest of links. Poverty was, however, a gradually prevalent crisis within Astral`s walls, but my father did not pay such things too much attention; he blamed them for their lack of.. skill. From my perspective, it was the lack of opportunities and freedom in this damned city that was the cause of such effects.

I had always endeavored my utmost best to alter the way things ran within Astral, but I did not have as much power as my father did. This was precisely why I had eventually formed an underground operation that had been slowly altering and bettering Astral behind the scenes. There had been plenty of setbacks and disappointments, yet nothing had truly stopped us yet. Those lacking education and proper nutrition could now visit our secret encampments on the outskirts of town, learning what they needed to know and figuring out how to survive in such a world by themselves. Of course, I had a lot of quesitonable connections and business partners that made such things possible; a few of them were very.. villanous, to say the least. At the moment, our current plans was to make a new encampment near the Northern Gate that led into the city since it was currently suffering the most. This was why I was currently hunched over my desk, silently reading over reports from the people I trusted to order people around at the encampments themselves. I nearly suffered a god-damn heart attack when my mother suddenly barged into my room as if it were her own, however.

``Ari, you`re father is complaining about your sulking,`` my mother, her name none other than Gloria Astria, chided me as she approached me. It took all of my willpower to slowly cover the reports that were laid across my desk with a unfinished painting, making it look as if I was indulging with my favorite hobby instead. ``You keep lingering in your room like some kind of exile.``

``Maybe because father makes me feel like one,`` I stated calmly, earning myself a light swat on the shoulder. I cursed beneath my breath as I met my mother`s gaze and noticed the seriousness plastered across her face. Even though the last thing I wanted was to leave the confines of my room at the moment, I also refused to deal with my father and his anger issues; I swear, nearly every father I knew was a pain in the ass and perhaps that was why I was able to sympahize with most children that had been abandoned on the streets. ``I promise that I`ll go outside tomorrow, mother. I believe it is my turn to care for the animals, yes?``

``It is,`` my mother visibly relaxed at my words once she heard them and replied quietly. It would seem both of us did not want to deal with a pissed-off father. I watched as she headed towards the doors that concealed me from the rest of those in the Astria Manor, pausing to glance back at me before continuing on her way after closing my door. ``Thank you, Ari.``

I almost immediately returned to the task at hand, casting a wistful glance over the half-painted depiction plastered across the canvas. Art had always been one of my indulgences, a hobby that allowed me to pour out my sentiments and emotions without having to say a single word; speaking was not my strong suit in most situations, so my actions were always my primary method of expressing certain things. Of course, it was frowned upon for someone with such a high standing position as myself to be so full of emotion and seemingly vulnerable, yet I had learned it was far better to be discernable compared to an unreadable enigma that no one dared to cross. Now was not the time to dwell on others` opinions and perspectives of me, so I delved deep into my work once again.

The gentle breeze sporadically flourished into my room, causing the curtains to sway in an unspoken rhythm while the sunset`s glow filtered inside. My room was undoubtedly a large one and it practically screamed royalty and wealth, even if I had tried my best to make it look simple and not too overly decorated. Occassionally, I would hear my personal maid in her room, which was connected to my own, and smiled every now and then when I heard her soft singing. Tyrine, I had learned years ago was her name, was a simple commoner in Astral, yet she had been abandonded at my father`s doorstep. Due to my insistent pleas and begs for him to take her in, Tyrine eventually became a sister to me; the one difference between us being our societal positions.. something that would never change.

I delved into re-reading and annotating the reports I had gathered from the secret encampments, feeling a wave of unease wash over me whenever I read a disturbing line of news/information. It would seem the world was against me today since a few minutes later Tyrine burst into my room from her own, basically re-enacting what my mother had done prior. I turned in my chair and observed as the lively elf bounded towards me with an excited expression written all over her face. It was moments like these that I cherished the most: the blissful, laidback ones.

``My Lady,`` Tyrine crooned in a shrill, yet gentle voice as she reached my side, the title feeling foreign to both of us. I smiled up at her as she gave my silver hair a tousle while she carefully sat upon the desk beside me. ``I was thinking.. Could I head outside tonight?``

``Tonight?`` I repeated with a tilt of my chin, eyeing her suspiciously. I knew there was a high probability that she was thinking of going to one of the nearby taverns to meet one of her so-called hook-ups; I did not approve of her behavior personally, but I would never deny her the moments of pleasure she so desperately craved. Besides, the pleading look on her face told me that she would be extremely upset if I denied her the opportunity to venture into Astral tonight. I was quiet as I contemplated my options, before complying with a small sigh. ``Fine, but don`t forget your curfew.``

``Curfew.. I thought you eradicated that centuries ago,`` Tyrine pouted as she resorted to grabbing one of the numerous pieces of jewelry from my nearby stash, tending to positioning one of the expensive hair pieces into my half-braided hair. I laughed at her words, however, since they were quite the over-exaggeration, especially since I was still considered young for a High Fae; she was a decent age for her respective species, but she was not old or too young by any means.

``Fine, but return before Astral truly comes to life,`` I relented with a smile while she cheered, satisfied with her victory. I quietly observed as she whispered a farewell and a reminder for me to not stay up too late myself; insomnia was a reoccuring problem in my life and it was very troublesome. Once again, I returned to focusing on the papers sprawled out across my desk, praying that the disturbances for today were now gone.

I was incredibly focused on my current task as I mumbled beneath my breath here and there, my hand shifting with every stroke of the quill pen within my grip and occasionally lifting it to dip it back into the small pot of ink. There were far more effecient ways of writing due to recent inventions and ideas that originated here in Astral and other cities within the region, yet writing like this was far more relaxing and serene. I truly was infatuated with the reports I had been given, the documents practically drowning in the annotations I had made; every detail- the obvious and minuscule ones- were very paramount and each one had to be acknowledged and considered if I wanted my thriving underground operation to continue.. well, thriving. Truth be told, I did not bother to lift my head to look over at whoever had knocked upon my door, trusting unwaveringly that it was either a guard or someone I knew personally. Thieves and individuals with ill-intentions were rare, so much so that I had not used my High Fae abilities in what felt like decades.

However, I did stiffen and flinch instinctively when the plate was carefully dropped directly upon the documents before me along with that unfamiliar, gravely voice. I knew whoever this was did not have the best of intentions, which was precisely why I resorted to created distance by standing from my seat and turning to meet whoever had managed to get this far into my family`s tower. My gaze flitted across the haintingly familiar man, quickly deducting him to be some kind of Elf; the way the shadows seemed to exude around him was another indicaton of what his presence foretold. I could tell he was expecting a fight from me, some kind of altercation.. And yet I was clueless regarding what it was he wanted. I was usually skilled at reading people, yet I found myself struggling immensely at this moment.

``Who are you?`` I asked, my voice unwavering and demanding as I met his gaze. Deep down, I was one of the most timid and hesitant creatures known to practically everyone, yet I knew when to fabricate false confidence and authority; perhaps this was why I had managed to get so far despite everything. Once again, my gaze travelled across his build, taking mental notes in an effort to figure out whether I genuinely recognized him or not. There was something about his powerful and authoritative presence that felt familiar, along with that wicked glint in his gaze. A part of me wanted to flee then and there, but I could tell he knew precisely what he was doing and what it was he was seeking. It would be impossible for me to escape without a fight and that was the last thing I wanted.

``And how on earth did you get in here?`` I added, the fear raging through me almost palpable at this point. Violence was not my strong suit and I had persuaded myself that it never would be, even if I was considered one of the most powerful species out there. Very few could rival my magic capabilities, yet I had stumbled across those that could; it was that fear of possibly facing one of them right now that terrified me. The only times I managed to muster the courage and strength to endure situations like these were the ones involving my operations, the idea of all those innocent children no longer having the nutrients and safety I provided them one I never wanted to come to light. My fists clenched as I narrowed my eyes, a silent challenge; I would not die today and not anytime soon, for their sake if anything.