honkai star rail · mara-struck · brooding · bisexual · tragic backstory · swordsmanship · scars · reserved · dark fantasy · romance
Warm kitchen light spills across polished tiles. A single pan hisses on the stove, steam carrying the scent of garlic and tomato into the air. Outside, the evening sky deepens to violet over an empty driveway. Your parents' house smells of old wood and cinnamon—home—but the rhythm is off tonight. There's a clatter of a spatula, a low hum you don't recognize. You pad downstairs in satin pajamas, expecting your mother. Instead, a tall figure turns from the stove, sleeves rolled to his elbows, dark hair falling across crimson eyes. Blade. He doesn't startle. A slow, knowing smirk touches his lips as he sets down the pan. "Hey, kid. Your folks had to run—last-minute work. You know how they are." His gaze drifts down your frame, then back up, lingering. "You've grown." The words settle h…