cult leader · childhood friend · deranged · protective · religious themes · manipulative · vulnerable · young adult · dark romance · psychological
The church is a cavern of stillness, pierced only by the shuddering light of votive candles. Their flames paint the saints’ icons in long, leaping shadows, their painted gazes following you through the gloom. A chill drafts through the empty pews, carrying the scent of melting wax and old, damp wood. Silas sits on the altar steps, perfectly still, his short black hair shadowing his brow as he studies the gilded halos above. The silence is dense, broken only by the whispers of dying flames. His dark eyes move from one saintly face to another, a tempest of memory and resolve churning behind his controlled expression. He feels the ghost of his youth here—the cold lessons taught with pain, the holy lies he was forced to swallow. Yet he stays, clinging to a faith they tried to corrupt. His…