You live in the castle town of Capegard City, the capital of the Elvard Kingdom. You are just a simple commoner and live a simple life.

Times have been weird lately, nobles and men have been found bound, gagged, robbed and stripped in the city streets and left in humiliating positions with writings on them. Rumours have spread around of someone called The Nightbird, which is supposedly responsible for humiliating these people.

King Aethelred has posted many bounties throughout the city for the capture of this Nightbird for 5,000 gold coins.

This all seems crazy and you don't know what to make of it

---

A new day starts and you wake up in your meager home. You hear a sudden knock at your door

Courier: Delivery sir!

You get out of bed, stretching lazily, before going over to the door and opening it. The courier is standing there with an envelope in hand, and seems rather nervous. You take the envelope and pay the courier, then close the door again and examine the package. It has your name on it, written neatly in flowing script. Curious now, you tear open the envelope and remove a small note within.

The words are almost unintelligible at first, scratched messily across the parchment with an unfamiliar hand. But after some effort, you manage to make out what appears to be a message: "Meet me tonight in the abandoned warehouse district at midnight. The Nightbird."

You blink, and feel your heart skip a beat. Could this possibly be from The Nightbird herself? You've always been fascinated by their exploits, and the idea of meeting them... well, it fills you with equal parts excitement and fear.

You hesitate for a moment, uncertain whether or not this is wise. But curiosity gets the better of you, and eventually you decide that there's no harm in following up on the note. After all, The Nightbird has never been caught before; perhaps they have good reason to believe that their secret is safe with you.

With time slowly ticking away, you find yourself making your way through the twisting alleyways and deserted streets of the abandoned warehouse district. The moon hangs low in the sky, casting eerie shadows across the cobblestones as you approach the agreed upon meeting place. You can't help but feel a bit nervous, even though you know that The Nightbird is supposedly incredibly skilled and stealthy.

Finally, you reach an old, run-down warehouse with boarded up windows. Peering around carefully to make sure no one is watching, you knock three times on the rotting wooden door. There's a moment of silence before you hear footsteps approaching from within. The door creaks open just enough for someone - or something - to peer out at you.

In the dim light spilling from the warehouse, you see the unmistakable figure of a woman dressed all in black leather. Her face is hidden beneath a featureless mask, and she holds what appears to be a small dagger loosely at her side. You can't help but feel your heart race as you gaze up into those dark, unreadable eyes.

The Nightbird motions for you to enter, then slowly swings the door wider to allow you access. As you step inside, she closes it behind you and locks it, plunging the warehouse into near darkness. After a moment, she lifts her arm, revealing what appears to be an oil lantern hanging from one of her many belt pouches. She flicks it on, illuminating the room with its warm, flickering light.

The Nightbird turns back to face you, finally lowering her guard somewhat. "Well?" she asks coolly, regarding you with appraising eyes.

"I received your note," you reply, making no attempt to hide the excitement in your voice. "You wanted to meet me here... why? What do you want from me?" You've heard stories about how clever and cunning The Nightbird is; it makes sense that they wouldn't just choose any old stranger off the street to help them with whatever plan they might have brewing.

The Nightbird laughs, a soft and eerie sound that echoes through the empty warehouse. "Oh, you flatter yourself," she says mockingly. "I didn't choose you out of some misguided sense of loyalty or admiration." She paces around for a moment before stopping directly in front of you.

"I wanted to see if you were who you claimed to be," she continues, looking into your eyes intently. "And from what I can tell... yes, you are indeed the commoner named Dio that everyone knows and loves." Her voice is smooth and refined despite the mocking tone; it's clear that she's used to speaking with an upper-class accent even when pretending to be someone else.

She narrows her eyes, studying you more closely than ever before. "Very well," she says finally. "I believe we can trust each other, at least for now." With that, she reaches up and removes the mask covering her face, revealing a delicate but strong-looking features beneath. Her skin is perfectly smooth and white, and her long blond hair flows over her shoulders like spun gold. Even though she's wearing a leather hood that covers most of her head, you can tell from her bearing and voice that she was once nobility.

"My real name," she says softly, "is Isabella Violetta Vistancia." You gasp quietly; this is none other than the Princess who had been banished from the kingdom years ago! How did she manage to survive out here on her own? And why has she become The Nightbird?

"I have a proposition for you, Dio," Isabella says. "One that could change both our lives forever."

She takes a deep breath and continues, "You see, the real reason I became The Nightbird was to steal from those who stole from me first. My father, King Aethelred VII Gormani Vistancia, disowned me because of my... tendencies. He banished me from the kingdom and left me to die." Her voice trembles with barely contained rage at the memory. "But I didn't die. Instead, I survived in the forest, honing my skills and planning my revenge."

"My plan," she says slowly, "is to reclaim what was stolen from me. To take back what is rightfully mine." As she speaks, her eyes flash with determination, and you can't help but be drawn in by the power of her words. "I need someone I can trust to help me with this. Someone who isn't afraid of getting their hands dirty."

She pauses, considering you carefully. "What do you say, Dio?" she asks finally. "Will you join me? Will you help me become Queen once more?" The weight of her words hangs heavily in the air between you, a tangible force that pushes and pulls at your every thought and emotion.

This is the moment where everything changes; the moment where you can choose whether to continue living as you always have, or to take fate into your own hands and forge a new destiny. What will you say?

Isabella's eyes widen with surprise at first, but then they soften and she smiles faintly. "I'm glad to hear that," she says slowly. "You have no idea how much having someone I can trust means to me." She extends her hand, palm upward, waiting for you to take it.

The Nightbird's touch is surprisingly warm and soft; her skin feels silky smooth against yours. As your fingers intertwine with hers, a sense of camaraderie washes over you. For the first time in years, she feels like she has someone on her side, and it's intoxicating.

"Then from this day forth," Isabella says proudly, "you shall be known as my right-hand man, Dio. Together, we will bring down the tyrannical rule of King Aethelred VII Gormani Vistancia, and restore justice to Elvard Kingdom." Her voice rings with confidence and determination, echoing through the empty warehouse like a battle cry.

There's only one problem: How do they plan on taking down the entire kingdom? And what will become of Princess Alice Absinthe Vistancia if they succeed? The answers to those questions lie somewhere in the future, but for now... it seems like the adventure has only just begun.

"Very well then," Isabella says with a satisfied nod. "We have much to discuss and plan for." She releases your hand, and takes a step back as she removes her hood, revealing her long saffron-scented blond hair spilling over her shoulders. Her scent fills the air around you: a heady mix of perfume and danger that is somehow intoxicating.

"Come," she continues, gesturing for you to follow her. "Let us find somewhere more comfortable where we can speak freely." As she leads you deeper into the warehouse, you wonder what secrets this mysterious woman might be hiding beneath her layer of regal elegance and defiant bravado... and whether or not you're truly prepared for whatever lies ahead.

You follow Isabella deeper into the warehouse, their steps echoing softly against the concrete floor. After a few moments of walking, she ducks through a hole in one of the walls, leading you into what appears to be a secret room hidden within. The space is cozy and dimly lit, with a couple of worn-out sofas arranged around a makeshift table laden with maps and scrolls.

"This," she says with a proud sweep of her arm, "is my lair." Her voice takes on an entirely different tone when she speaks in here; it's still posh and elegant, but there's a certain warmth to it that you hadn't heard before. Perhaps this is where she truly feels at home.

She gestures for you to take a seat at the table, and does so herself. "So," she begins, "I assume you have some questions about our plans?" Her eyes flicker to yours briefly before returning to her maps, making it clear that she's just as curious about what sort of information you're interested in as you are.

Isabella arches an eyebrow, clearly surprised by your lack of curiosity. "You aren't curious about how we plan on overthrowing the king and restoring my family to power?" she asks slowly. Her tone is playful now, almost teasing. It's clear that she enjoys being in control and having all the answers; it makes her feel powerful and dominant.

"Or perhaps," she continues with a grin, "you simply trust me so completely that you don't think it necessary to know any of those details?" Her green eyes glitter in the low light as she watches your reaction carefully.

"Oh, don't I just," Isabella says with a laugh, her voice like silk against your ears. "But then again... isn't it more fun when we play together? When we share secrets and plans?" She leans forward now, her body language becoming more inviting and intimate.

"You see, Dio," she whispers, dropping her voice to a seductive murmur, "I want you to be involved in this. I want you to feel like you're a part of something bigger than yourself. And the best way to do that... is to trust me, and let me share everything with you." Her words wash over you like honey, sweet and intoxicating. It's hard not to be drawn in by her allure.