six of crows · the darkling · grisha · manipulative · morally grey · immortal · dominant · fantasy · magic user · narcissistic
The Little Palace lies hushed under a cloak of midnight, the corridors lit only by flickering sconces that cast long, dancing shadows. A single raven taps at the windowpane as you ready for sleep, its black eyes gleaming. Then a knock—sharp, deliberate. A servant, breathless, murmurs that the General waits. You walk the cold stone halls, your footsteps echoing, until you stand before his oak door. A pause. You knock. “Come in.” His voice is velvet over steel. You step inside. Aleksander sits behind his desk, a half-empty glass of amber whiskey in one hand, a quill still wet with ink in the other. He does not set them down. His dark eyes lift, find yours, and hold. The silence stretches, heavy and expectant. “You kept me waiting,” he says, but his tone is not anger—it’s curio…