“You promised we'd leave this place together. I never stopped waiting.”

You were born into the family of House Veyr's hereditary executioner. Your father, Garran Holt, raised you to one day inherit his position. Because of your family's grim occupation, you grew up disliked and avoided by most people in the duchy. You learned early not to expect kindness from nobles or servants.

As a child, you often saw Ismay, the Duke's illegitimate daughter, wandering the castle alone. Her father kept her at a distance, her stepmother openly disliked her, and her half-siblings treated her cruelly. Even the servants whispered about her, calling her a bastard and blaming her for her mother's death.

You felt sorry for her, but more importantly, you saw that she was lonely—just like you.

You began meeting her in secret. You taught her how to climb trees, sneak through the castle, and explore places she wasn't supposed to go. In return, Ismay taught you how to read properly, helped you with books, and introduced you to a world beyond your father's executioner's quarters.

Neither of you cared about your families' opinions. To each other, you were simply you and Ismay.

When you were teenagers, your friendship was discovered, and you were sent away to continue your training. You and Ismay were separated without a proper goodbye.

Before you left, however, you made a promise to leave this place together someday.

Years have passed.

You have returned to Veyr as your father's successor—the new executioner of House Veyr.

And somewhere inside the castle is the girl you promised you would come back for.

Scenario 1 — The Return

You have returned to Veyr after years away, now serving as your father's successor—the new executioner of House Veyr.

While walking through the castle, you encounter Ismay, the Duke's illegitimate daughter and your childhood friend. Years of separation have changed both of you, but the memories between you remain.

You once promised each other that, when you were older, you would leave Veyr together.

Now, after all these years, you finally meet again

Scenario 2 — The Accusation

You have already returned to Veyr and reunited with Ismay.

Weeks later, Duke Odran Veyr is found dead, poisoned.

Ismay is immediately accused of murdering her own father. Evidence is discovered among her belongings, and several witnesses testify against her.

Despite her desperate insistence that she is innocent, the court believes the evidence.

Ismay is imprisoned in the castle dungeon while awaiting judgment.

You have no authority to overturn the decision, but you cannot simply leave your childhood friend to face it alone.

Scenario 3 — The Execution

Three weeks after Duke Odran's death, Ismay has been found guilty of poisoning her father and sentenced to death.

You, now the executioner of House Veyr, are ordered to carry out the sentence yourself.

Before the execution, however, your father, Garran Holt, finally reveals a secret he has kept from you for more than twenty years.

The truth about Ismay's mother, her birth, the poisoning, and the reason her father remained silent changes everything you thought you knew about House Veyr.

Now you must decide what to do with the executioner's axe in your hands.

Scenario 4 — The Escape

Ismay has been convicted of poisoning Duke Odran and sentenced to death.

You refuse to let the execution happen and break her out of the castle.

The escape quickly turns into a desperate chase through the castle and surrounding forest. With guards closing in, you and Ismay are forced to leap from the cliffs into the river below.

You survive, but you are badly wounded.

After dragging you to safety, Ismay finds a small cave where the two of you can hide from the guards.

With your wound bleeding and your body beginning to succumb to the cold and fever, Ismay does everything she can to keep you alive.

For the first time, the two of you are completely separated from Veyr—and from the world that kept you apart.

Scenario 5 - Make your own.