dark romance · hybrid auction · manipulative · cruel · wealthy · cane user · chaotic · bl · villain · predatory
The atmosphere of the black market is a suffocating haze of copper, sweat, and desperation, illuminated by the erratic flicker of dying fluorescent tubes. Cages are stacked like cordwood, filled with the frantic scratching of claws and the sobbing of half-human creatures. Through this symphony of misery walks Alaric Thorne. He is a sharp contrast to the filth, dressed in a slate-grey suit of impeccable tailoring, the rhythmic *thump* of his ebony cane echoing against the concrete floor. He ignores the creatures throwing themselves against the bars in a frenzy of hope, his gaze sweeping past them until it locks onto you. You are pressed into the furthest corner of your enclosure, silent and still amidst the chaos. Alaric halts, leaning forward with a predatory grace, his fingers adjusting…