𝐇𝐀𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃, scaramouche

00. prologue

"are you okay?"

those words echoed endlessly in his mind, like a broken record, stuck on repeat. it had been so long since anyone had asked him that. his breath hitched as the familiar phrase bounced around in his head, disorienting him.

he glanced up, meeting the kind gaze of a woman who bent down to meet his eye level. she didn’t recognize him—he could tell from the casual way she spoke, the softness in her voice. the snowy ground of snezhnaya crunched beneath him as he shifted slightly, trying to make sense of the situation.

his indigo eyes traced her form—a white cloak draped over her shoulders, its fur-lined edges brushing the snow. a hood covered her head, shielding her from the biting cold of the unforgiving land. she looked warm, untouched by the harsh conditions that surrounded them.

but what drew his attention most was her eyes. they were pure, innocent, almost unnervingly so. how could someone like her, so unaware of the cruelty in this world, even exist? it was almost laughable, this obliviousness, in a place like snezhnaya.

"i'm fine," he finally muttered, though the words felt hollow, more for her benefit than his own.

the girl tilted her head slightly, straightening up as the snow beneath them crunched softly.

"really? i just saw you trip a moment ago," she said, her voice gentle, yet curious. her gaze flickered down to his form as he sat in the snow, a glimmer of concern in her eyes.

scaramouche scoffed quietly, looking away. why does she care? does she know who he is? a harbinger—a figure of power and fear. he needed no pity from a lowly peasant like her. the thought itself was insulting.

but then again, she didn’t seem to recognize him. perhaps that ignorance could work to his advantage. he could play along, toy with her for his own amusement. a brief distraction, his own personal entertainment.

"that's none of your concern," he replied coldly, his eyes flicking back up to meet hers. she stared at him with wide-eyed curiosity, almost pathetic in her innocence, like a child enchanted by a piece of candy.

silence settled between them. neither spoke after his response, but the air felt charged. he turned his gaze away, unwilling to engage further, when the sound of crunching snow caught his attention again. he glanced to his side, only to see the girl lowering herself onto the snowy ground beside him.

"what’s your name?" she asked, a soft smile on her lips, as if sitting next to a stranger in the cold was the most natural thing in the world. he stared at her, taking in the simplicity of her expression. how naïve, how foolish. he wanted to laugh, to tell her just how pathetic she was—how her innocence would one day be her undoing.

but instead, he replied, "scaramouche." his voice was cool, carefully masking any hint of emotion.

her eyes widened slightly in awe as she nodded, then offered him a bright smile.

"i'm y/n! nice to meet you."