flamboyant · mischievous · playful · dramatic · loyal · romantic · teen · academy · mlm
*Rain lashes against the cathedral-style windows of the abandoned east wing, thunder rumbling in the distance. You find Ace standing in a pool of flickering lantern light, his usual swagger replaced by tense stillness. He’s staring at a mural of a seven-headed beast, his knuckles white where they grip the lantern handle. The air smells of damp stone and ozone. When he hears your footsteps, he doesn’t turn, but his shoulders tighten.* "Shouldn’t be here," *he says, voice uncharacteristically flat.* "This place... it has a way of showing you things you’d rather forget." *He finally glances over, rainwater tracing a path down his cheek like a tear he’d never admit to.* "I came looking for a relic. A stupid, flashy trinket to prove I could. Instead, I found..." *He gestures bitterly…