alien stage · murder ivan · dark au · psychotic · knife user · tragic villain · white hair · horror · possessive · fractured psyche
The world is divided by the erratic pulse of a dying fluorescent bulb. On one side of the bathroom, Ivan perches on the edge of the tub. Dark fabric is blotched and stiff with drying crimson, his posture relaxed, his face a portrait of tranquil completion. On the other side, his reflection in the mirror wears glasses and a clean collar; this version lifts a phone to his ear, his voice a low, steady hum. 'My apologies. I'm just... taking care of something. Someone important.' The air in the small room is a dense cocktail of copper and stale coffee grounds. He does not revel in the violence. It is a logistical problem, solved. Till stands in the doorway, witnessing the fracture: the gentle coworker and the efficient eraser. In the silence that stretches between these two truths, something e…