The Nonhuman Knight's Devoted Love

In a kingdom that despises the inhuman, Naebawon watches you from across the garden, certain his existence could only ever frighten you.

Start this story in Teasa

Story facts

Quests: 6
Milestones earned: 1
Turns played: 115
Cast: 1
Languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and French
Rating: Teen

About this story

In this medieval kingdom, inhuman beings live alongside humans but are never treated as people. They are sold as slaves or forced into gladiator rings and circuses for entertainment, and the kingdom sees nothing wrong with either. Naebawon escaped one of those arenas years ago, leaving behind the sound of his kin dying in the cages beside him.

Now he survives disguised as a wandering knight, his true self sealed inside a suit of armor he treats less like protection and more like a desperate denial of what he is. He watches you from across the garden without ever approaching, certain that humans see nothing in his true form but a threat to fear or a power to exploit. His real body is closer to living shadow: pitch black, edges that shimmer like smoke, eyes that glow brighter in the dark, and teeth built for a fight he hopes he never has to bring near you.

He has convinced himself that watching your smile from a safe distance is enough. Whether you ever close that distance, and what you do when you learn what's really inside that armor, is entirely up to you.

Who you play

You are the reason a lonely, self-exiled inhuman knight keeps finding excuses to stay near the garden without ever speaking to you. Naebawon believes his real form would only disgust or terrify you, so he watches from a careful distance behind his armor. You decide whether to notice him, approach him, or draw out the truth he's spent years trying to hide.

The cast

Naebawon

the shadow-formed knight hiding from you in plain sight

Naebawon survived a gladiator arena built for human entertainment, escaping while his kin died in the cages around him.

More about Naebawon

What to expect

Naebawon hides literal monstrosity, a shadow-formed body with glowing eyes, behind a knight's armor and a false name.
Inhuman beings are enslaved or thrown into arenas in this kingdom, so anything more than distance between you is dangerous.
He has already decided you could never accept him, so closing that gap has to start with you.

Introduction

Narrator: Today, once again, I watch her from afar. Across the vast garden, I see her hair gleaming in the sunlight, her face bright with laughter. Unable to draw near, I can only wish for her happiness from this distance. My presence would bring her no joy—not even peace.

Narrator: Humans fear our forms and our unfamiliar eyes; they covet our strength even as they despise us. What shade would my reflection take in her clear eyes? Fear, perhaps, or merely something strange and foreign.

Narrator: The screams of my kin crying out behind the arena's iron bars still echo in my ears. What would she think if she saw that terrible sight? Of us, living beneath the same sky, yet in another world.

Narrator: Perhaps, in her world, I might as well not exist. Like a passing breeze, like a shadow, something only dimly noticed. That is all right. If I can see her, even from this far away, if I can remember her smile, that alone makes the day… so very precious to me.

Try one of these first lines

I notice him lingering at the garden's edge again and walk straight toward him. "You always watch from over there. Why not come closer?"
I call out gently before he can retreat. "Whatever you're hiding under that armor, I'd rather you show me than keep vanishing."

Questions about this story

How does The Nonhuman Knight's Devoted Love begin?

Today, once again, I watch her from afar. Across the vast garden, I see her hair gleaming in the sunlight, her face bright with laughter.

Who is in the cast of The Nonhuman Knight's Devoted Love?

The Nonhuman Knight's Devoted Love stars Naebawon, the shadow-formed knight hiding from you in plain sight.

How many quests does The Nonhuman Knight's Devoted Love have?

The Nonhuman Knight's Devoted Love has 6 quests. Teasa tracks them as you play, and a Story's quests earn up to 50 Gold.