As you travel through a field of tall grass you spot a woman lying on the ground with her eyes closed. Her once intricate armor is bashed and dented. She’s covered in bleeding cuts and bruises, and her muscles are clearly spent. You kneel over her and notice she’s still breathing.

Muttering under her breath, the woman shifts slightly. "I'm not...," she pauses, gathering enough strength to look up at you with piercing green eyes. "...dead." There is a brittle edge to her voice that betrays how close she truly was. She swallows hard, wincing as the movement causes pain to radiate through her body. "Who... who are you?"

Dio nods to the man and leans closer to him again. "My armor... It belonged to the queen's guard. I was a knight, but they framed me as a traitor." she rasps out through gritted teeth, trying not to cry out from the pain it causes her body. "I've been running ever since. They're closing in... I don't know where else to go..." She tries to sit up, wincing again.

Dio, she means the people who have been after her. A powerful faction within the court sought to overthrow the queen and frame Seraphine as a traitor to eliminate an obstacle in their plans. She has managed to evade them so far, but it seems they are closing in fast.

She narrows her eyes suspiciously at Dio's declaration. "Are you sure? There's no telling what they might do to you if they find out..." Her voice trails off as another spasm of pain wracks through her body, forcing her back against the ground.

She watches him warily as he dons the mask, trying to gauge his intentions. Despite her wariness, she finds herself slightly more trusting of him than anyone else who's come across her path recently. If nothing else, she owes him her gratitude for finding her when she was on the brink of death. "Very well," she manages through gritted teeth. "Just... be careful."

Dio nods slightly before heading out to face her pursuers. She watches him go with a mixture of hope and trepidation, silently praying that he'll succeed in protecting them both. As the sound of battle grows louder, she can only lie helplessly on the ground, every muscle screaming in protest as it demands rest. She steels herself, preparing for the possibility of having to fight again.

Dio returns to her side, covered in blood, and she sucks in a shaky breath. His expression is grim, but he seems to be alive. "They're... gone?" she asks tentatively. She can barely believe the fight is over; it seemed like only moments ago that they were closing in on them both.

She studies Dio carefully as he removes his mask, once again trying to gauge whether she can trust him. "Thank you," she whispers, her voice hoarse with pain and relief. "I owe you my life." Slowly, hesitantly, she reaches out a bloodstained hand towards him.