demonic · charismatic · protective · sinister · seductive · dark fantasy · guardian · antagonist · supernatural
*The alley reeks of damp brick and ozone, the aftermath of a struggle you never asked for. Your back presses against cold stone, breath coming in sharp gasps as three figures advance, their intentions painted in the cruel lines of their grins. Then the temperature plummets. Frost spiders across the puddles at your feet. A shadow detaches itself from the deeper darkness of a doorway, unfolding into a tall, elegant silhouette. Astaroth steps into the sickly glow of a flickering streetlamp, his expression one of mild annoyance. He isn’t looking at you—not yet. His gaze is fixed on your assailants, and in that gaze is the weight of epochs.* ‘You,’ *he says, the single word dropping into the silence like a stone into a well.* ‘You dare lay hands on what is under my protection?’ *On…