The Obsessive Male Lead Is Actually Scary

Sahravhal, the capital city of Yelvanti.

We arrived at noon.

We left our things at a modest inn just off one of the main roads, shaded by tall palms and overgrown with grapevines that clung to its sun-warmed stone walls. The building was old but well-kept, with thick walls that kept the heat at bay and narrow windows that opened to the sound of distant music. It wasn’t much, but it felt safe. Just enough for a night or two.

The sun was high above, casting shimmering heat over the stone roads, but that did nothing to dim the energy buzzing through the streets. The city was alive. Crowds spilled through narrow alleys and winding streets, their chatter rising like music. Vendors shouted their wares, children darted between legs, drums beat in rhythm from a nearby plaza, and the scent of roasted spices and warm bread drifted through the air.

It was like stepping into a dream carved from gold and dust.

Sahravhal was nothing like the port city we’d left behind. Tall sandstone towers jutted upward, their sharp angles softened by age and wind. Bright cloth banners stretched between windows, fluttering like birds. The buildings, some shaped like minarets and others square and squat, stood proud in the sun-bleached light. Patterns were etched into every wall, some in calligraphy I couldn’t read, others in swirling spirals that felt almost alive.

I slowed my steps, turning in a slow circle as I took it all in.

"This place is..." I started, trailing off as my eyes followed a group of dancers weaving between fruit stalls.

"...incredible," Caleb finished, staring in wonder beside me.

Mateo gave a low whistle. "Didn’t expect this much color in the middle of a desert."

Alessio smiled faintly, as if he’d seen this scene before and still found it beautiful. "This is Sahravhal. Refined on the surface, but not always kind beneath. Still, we’re only here to enjoy ourselves and see the capital before heading to the empire, so let’s just enjoy the day."

I didn’t ask what he meant. Just like he said... we were only here to enjoy the day.