The party at the villa was in full swing. Laughter echoed through the grand halls, and music danced through the night air. But Triss and Geralt had long slipped away, seeking privacy in the vast garden behind the estate. Here, under the soft glow of lanterns and surrounded by towering statues of marble, the world felt peaceful, untouched by war, monsters, or destiny’s cruel hand.

Triss leaned against one of those marble statues, swirling the deep red wine in her glass, smiling as Geralt recounted an old tale from their travels. His voice was warm, his usually sharp eyes softened by the moment. They laughed, genuinely, freely. No concerns, no weight of the past, just the quiet joy of each other’s company.

Triss and Geralt

@Menniphi & @Lonelywolfj

But peace never lasted long in their world.

A rustle in the nearby bushes. Soft, almost unnoticeable, until it wasn’t. Geralt moved, instincts sharper than any blade. The wine glass slipped from his grip, spinning midair before shattering against the stone path. By the time the sound reached their ears, his silver sword was already drawn.

A nightcrawler lunged from the darkness, its grotesque form illuminated by the lanterns. Clawed limbs, hollow eyes, skin stretched too tightly over a gaunt, skeletal frame. It was fast, Geralt was faster.

With a practiced motion, he drove his blade between its ribs, twisting just enough to paralyze it. The creature let out a shriek, its body crumbling to the ground before slithering into the shadows, defeated but not dead. Not yet.

Triss exhaled, placing a hand over her racing heart. “You always know how to ruin a perfectly good drink,” she teased, voice breathless but grateful.

Geralt smirked, wiping the blade clean. “I’d do anything to protect my true love.”

Triss’s expression softened. She stepped closer, pressing a hand to his chest, feeling the steady rhythm beneath. “And I, you.”

The danger had passed, but they lingered in the moment, bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun. Somewhere in the distance, the party continued. Here, in the quiet embrace of the garden, Triss and Geralt stood side by side, wondering what new adventures the world would weave for them next.