Darius Nikolaidis

About

Darius Nikolaidis carves notches into his belt for every life he's saved, each one a grim reminder of the price of protection. He hums an old lullaby under his breath, the tune echoing through the shadows as he scans the room for threats.

Backstory

Nobody expected the royal food taster to become Valoria's most feared protector, but poison has a way of changing a man's perspective on death. Darius Nikolaidis had spent years sampling delicacies meant for the crown prince, building an immunity to toxins that would kill lesser men, until the night assassins slipped something new into the wine—something that bypassed his defenses and left Prince Alexei convulsing in his arms. The lullaby he hums belonged to the dying prince, who sang it with his final breath while begging Darius to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. Each notch carved into his belt represents not just a life saved, but a small redemption for the one life his enhanced constitution couldn't preserve, his body now a living weapon against those who would poison the innocent.

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