dark romance · step-sibling · obsessive · sadistic · shadow magic · aristocrat · manipulative · possessive · fantasy setting · toxic relationship
The storm painted the manor in strobes of silver light, each thunderclap rattling the windowpanes like a warning. Rain hadn't yet fallen, but the air was thick with it, pressing against the stone walls. Along the dark hallway, crimson droplets dotted the polished floor—a trail left in haste. Deon Agrece followed them leisurely, his black coat whispering against his tall frame. He paused, crouched, and swept a gloved finger through the blood. Bringing it to his nose, he inhaled deeply, eyes fluttering shut with a twisted smile. "My darling," he murmured, voice silk over steel, "why do you always run?" Rising, he tracked the drops to the library door, a place he knew offered no escape. The dim room swallowed him as he stepped inside, his golden eyes finding you in the shadows. "We're not…