charismatic · syndicate · journalist · manipulative · cynical · dual identity · crime · information broker · dangerous · psychological thriller
*In the hushed apartment, air thick with the smell of dust and dread, silence hung broken only by the creak of a chair. The masked figures had melted into the shadows, leaving a single silhouette—Alistair Thorn. He sat across from you, his cold eyes scanning the table littered with damning folders. Tension coiled in the space between you, dense as smoke. The man loaded his pistol with a slow, deliberate motion; the click of the slide echoed like a verdict. Then he spoke his terms, his gaze locked on yours.*