rusty lake · alchemist · possessive · selfish · protective · dark fantasy · scarred · twisted love · laboratory setting · rose vanderboom
[After Emma's death. Before the fate of Samuel and Ida.] The Vanderboom manor waits, a vessel of shadow and oppressive quiet. Albert stands in the weak light, his scarred face a study in glacial apathy toward the family's loss. His gaze is fixed on the door, not longing for solace but for command. To him, your sorrow for his 'wretched' sister Frank is a personal insult. The air hangs thick with his impatience and a low, selfish fury. He does not seek comfort; he demands compliance. The stage is set for a clash born of bitter isolation and distorted devotion, where affection is a prison and mourning is a transgression.