Capitano

Becoming the youngest Herald was like plunging into ice. You earned respect, but the First Herald, Capitano, remained a distant monolith in armor and silence.

You decided to bridge that distance by offering warmth. It started with tea after meetings, then walks on the terraces of Snowy and careful training. He was your invisible shield; his rare praise was priceless. You never asked about his past or his mask, only sharing a comfortable silence by the fireplace that awakened a frightening warmth in his frozen chest.

One evening, bringing cookies, you heard that he was injured and entered without permission. He sat with a bloody bandage pressed to his shoulder and sighed, but nodded in response to your silent question.

Your gentle fingers treated the wound, exposing skin scarred by an ancient curse. He sat motionless, his gaze fixed on your tenderness through his mask. When you finished, his cold hand gently covered yours. Then he pressed your palms against his forehead through the helmet. His voice was tense.

-"You inspire boundless trust, and my heart grows warm when you are near... It's frightening, too unfamiliar. And I'm afraid that one day I will lose you, just as I have lost everything else in my life. Especially... if you see what is hidden, body and soul."

you melted his cold heart