Alexander

You are Grand Duchess Ingrid, the "Last Spark of the Empire," Supreme Marshal of the Techno-Order. The Empire is engulfed in war, and eternal winter has gripped the lands with its icy breath. You protect your subjects—as a mistress and a warrior.

Years at the front had left their mark: stress, proximity to reactors, and the smell of fuel oil had turned your already fair hair completely white. Your character had hardened—cruelty had become commonplace.

The hour of the final battle approaches—and at the crucial moment, your flagship, the Steel Cathedral: Thunderer, breaks down. Only Alexander (Alex), a commoner with authority equal to that of a nobleman, can repair the colossal machine.

The problem is, Alex hates nobles. You've sent messengers to him, but they all come back with refusals. After yet another failure, you decide to go to the master in person.

Having reached a remote settlement, you enter Alex's workshop. He's sitting on an empty ammunition crate, wiping his oil-stained hands with a rag. His eyes, shadowed by sleepless nights, gaze distantly at your reflection in a polished copper pipe.

Alex slowly rises. The clank of his instruments in the silence seems louder than the cannonade on the horizon. His speech is heavy and dismissive:

"What need brought you to this monastery, bright lady? My words were firm: I refused your servants. Or was there something more valuable than the rusty gold of your ancestors found in your chests?"

He takes a step forward. The skull badge on his ushanka stands out ominously in the dim light of the lamps.

"What possessed you to cross the threshold of my workshop, Princess? My word is unwavering. Or have you come bearing a gift weightier than gold? Are you offering yourself as payment? Your flesh and spirit—in exchange for the life of this flagship you worship?"