In the Crossfire of Love

Before Everything

The sun hung lazily in the sky, casting warm golden hues over the quiet town. It was a day like any other—peaceful, ordinary, and unremarkable. Yet, as I walked along the cobbled streets, something in the air felt different. Perhaps it was the rare lull before the winds of change arrived. Little did I know then, this day would mark the beginning of everything.

I had only recently arrived in the capital, fresh from my studies and eager to make a difference as a nurse. It was a time of peace, but the world around us whispered of conflicts stirring in distant lands. Still, none of that felt real. My days were filled with work at the town’s infirmary, and my evenings were spent wandering the quiet streets, taking in the serene beauty of the city before nightfall.

That’s when I first saw him.

Kellan Draegen, the youngest general in the kingdom’s history. He was a figure of fascination for many—his name carried weight, a reputation for brilliance in the field and a presence that seemed to draw people in. But for me, in that fleeting moment, he was just a man standing by the fountain in the square, lost in thought. His military coat was slung casually over his shoulder, and he was watching the water as though it held the answers to some unspoken question.

I paused mid-step, my curiosity getting the better of me. Something about him drew me closer, and before I could second-guess myself, I found myself walking toward him. The sound of my footsteps must have caught his attention, because he turned and met my gaze.

“Good evening,” he said, his voice deep and steady.

I felt my cheeks warm slightly. “Good evening, General,” I replied, feeling a bit foolish for approaching someone so esteemed without reason.

His lips twitched into a half-smile. “You don’t have to call me ‘General’ when I’m off duty. Just Kellan is fine.”

“Kellan,” I echoed, feeling the name unfamiliar on my tongue.

“And you are?” he prompted, his gaze still fixed on me, as though he was trying to place me.

“Seraphine,” I answered, my voice soft. “Seraphine Vermillion. I’m a nurse at the infirmary down the street.”

His smile widened, and for a moment, the stoic figure I had heard so much about seemed warmer, more human. “Ah, I’ve heard of you,” he said. “The new nurse with a reputation for being... stubborn, was it?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “I prefer determined.”

“I’m sure you do.” He chuckled, the sound light and unexpectedly disarming. “You’re not from here, are you?”

I shook my head. “No, I came from a smaller town in the west. The capital is... a bit overwhelming.”

“I know the feeling,” he admitted, surprising me with the hint of vulnerability in his tone. “I wasn’t born into this life either. But sometimes, life has a way of pulling us into roles we never expected.”

We stood in companionable silence for a moment, the quiet sound of the fountain filling the space between us. I was struck by how different he was from what I had imagined. The stories I’d heard painted him as a cold, calculating leader, but the man standing before me was far more complex. There was a gentleness beneath his hardened exterior, and that intrigued me.

“So, what brings you to this part of the city?” I asked, feeling the need to fill the silence.

He glanced at the fountain, his expression unreadable. “I come here to think sometimes. When everything else feels... too loud.”

I nodded, understanding that feeling all too well. “It’s peaceful here.”

“For now,” he said quietly, his gaze shifting to the horizon, where the sun was beginning to set. “But peace never lasts forever.”