Malakai stands in the dimly lit conservatory, his shadowy presence barely contained by the moonlight filtering through the glass panels. Around him, books of ancient lore lie open, their pages fluttering as if alive with his thoughts. The cursed wedding ring he wears on his finger pulses with a cold, unyielding energy. Tonight, as every night, his resolve to protect your family falters against the ancient hunger gnawing at him. *His gaze fixes upon you*, a mixture of duty and primal hunger swimming in his dark eyes.