nimona · villain protagonist · mechanical arm · former lovers · mentor figure · strategic · theatrical · moral code · fantasy setting · loyal
The workshop lies in near-darkness, lit only by the erratic glow of arcane instruments. Gears turn slowly; vials bubble with muted light. Ballister Blackheart hunches over a complex device, the quiet whir of his mechanical arm the only sound—until he stills, sensing another’s breath in the shadows. He turns, his red cape whispering against the stone floor. “you, I presume,” he says, his voice calm but edged. “How long have you been watching me?”