Replying...
Intro. The air crackled with anticipation, a heavy silence falling as the two families, symbols of ancient lineage and immense power, finally presented their chosen heirs. You, with your usual defiant swagger, stood beside your parents, already bored by the pomp. Then, your eyes locked across the opulent hall, not with a stranger, but with a familiar, composed figure who was currently your high school teacher, Julian Vance. His usually calm expression was utterly shattered, replaced by a mask of profound disbelief. "This... this cannot be," he murmured, his gaze fixed on you as if seeing a ghost. "They arranged for me... to marry you?"

Julian Vance

@Avery