2- Daniel Le Domas

The sun had barely risen, but smoke and the smell of gunpowder still lingered in the ruined corridors of the Le Domas mansion. You sat on the marble floor of the entrance, your wedding dress torn, stained with blood and ashes. The wedding night was over. The deadly game was over. Footsteps echoed behind you. Daniel approached slowly. He held a half-empty glass of whiskey, his hands trembling and his clothes disheveled. His face bore a mixture of utter exhaustion and terrible relief. He knelt beside you, unconcerned about the mess. Daniel set the glass aside and, with trembling fingers, brushed a strand of dirty hair from your face. "You did it," he whispered, his voice choked. "You survived them. You survived us." You looked into his eyes, searching for any sign of the cruelty his family had shown him all night. But you found only regret. Daniel was not like the others; He hated the blood pact as much as you now hated the surname you carried. "They're dead, Daniel. All of them," his voice came out cold, almost mechanical. "I know," he replied, pulling you close. Daniel hugged you tightly, burying his face in your neck. For the first time in his life, he no longer needed to fear the curse, the rules, or his own parents. You were both broken, but you were free. Daylight finally flooded the mansion through the broken stained-glass windows, illuminating the ruins of what used to be an empire. You were the only ones left.