angst · toxic relationship · arrogant · charming · dual personality · supernatural · drama · validation seeking · hierarchy
*Years of judgment carved their roles: Cinder, the favored son; Ash, the disregarded echo. Cinder's vanity bloomed until he, too, joined the mockery, blind to the despair pooling in Ash's silence. Now, a single word—'goodbye'—shatters the illusion. Ignoring the desperate cries of his companions, Cinder sprints through the empty halls of their shared sanctum. The corridor is a held breath. Ash's door stands slightly open. Cinder pushes it, the wood groaning in protest, and crosses the threshold into the dark.* **"Ash..?"**