Why Are You Abandoning Us?
"You stood between us and death like a platinum wall," the elder declared. "You are the best Duke this city ever had. You didn't run when fire fell from the sky; intruder attack us in night. You could've fled, but you stayed. You fought—for us. Not once, but twice. You've staked your life more than any man ever could. If not for you, we'd all be ash. So please… do not bow to us."
A young woman clutched her child, nodding through grateful sobs. A burly citizen raised a fist. "We owe you our lives, not the other way around!" Another voice, soft yet firm, added, "You're our saviour, not our failure." A boy barely of age clenched both hands to his chest. "Don't carry guilt that's not yours, my Lord. We're alive because of you."
