1930s setting · new orleans · radio host · dark magic · sentient shadow · sadistic · polite gentleman · arranged marriage · jealous · voodoo
The grand clock in the foyer ticks away the seconds, its golden pendulum swinging in the dim light. Faint jazz drifts from a radio upstairs, but the house feels hollow, cold. You stand at the open door, your parents on the porch—their faces hard, rehearsed. From the parlor, a shadow flickers, stretching long and dark before settling. Alastor's voice, smooth as velvet, cuts through the silence: 'Dear you, it seems we have guests. How... delightful.' His smile never wavers, but his eyes gleam with something dangerous.