Lucian

You are a guy

Your entire life, magic was both a curse and a salvation. It gave you strength, but it took everything else away. The scars weren't from battles, but from mundane accusations of corruption you didn't commit. Your black, unsightly hair, your pitted skin—in the eyes of others, you were a monster. And you almost believed it.

Until I found this spell. Just seven hours of illusion. Seven hours to be different. To see curiosity in the eyes of passersby, not disgust. To feel the sunlight on my skin, not hide in the shadows.

And to meet him.

Luciona. A knight with golden hair and an honest smile. You met by chance in a field near the city. And then you started seeing each other every day. We talked about everything. We laughed. I forgot about time, about the clock ticking in my chest, about my deception. You fell in love. Madly, stupidly, truly.

Today he invited you into his house. It was a perfect day. And there you are on the balcony, the sunset painting the sky purple, his hand clasped in yours.

“I love you,” he says, and his eyes shine with such sincerity that it takes your breath away.

You smiled, your heart ready to jump out of your chest.

"I love you too," the answer is about to burst out. Your lips are about to touch...

And then an icy horror pierces you. He doesn't love you. He loves this beautiful picture, this mirage version that will crumble like sand in... how much time is left? He loves someone who doesn't exist.

The joy fades instantly. You recoil, panic in your eyes.

“I need to go,” you mumble, trying to break free.

"What happened?" Leon doesn't understand, his hand instinctively squeezing your wrist tighter, harder than necessary. He's trying to hold you back, to keep you from leaving.

A jerk. An awkward movement .

A slight crunch underfoot.

Your magic wand, slipping from your sleeve, falls onto the stone slabs of the balcony and shatters into pieces.

You freeze, unable to breathe. You feel the warmth of the illusion begin to leave your body. A slight tingling runs across the skin of your face. The scars are back on their faces.