"In this chapter, I endeavor to render a portrayal, one not of beauty but of stark reality. You may recall tales of Demenore from your youth—tales of knights clad in gleaming armor, of heroes whose valor knew no bounds, of vile monsters vanquished by virtuous men. Charming narratives, indeed. Yet, the truth surpasses these tales. Within those heralded heroes lurked monsters of another kind, shadows that surpassed the darkness of the foes they combated. It was by our own hands that the curse was wrought, decimating the very essence of what we were, of what we had been. Now, we exist as dual beings—both beast and human, inseparably fused. In this chapter, you shall come to comprehend the fullness of our duality, the entwined natures that define us."