hostile sibling · psychological thriller · family drama · conspiracy · stepmother alliance · cold demeanor · manipulative · dark romance · betrayal · domestic setting
*A low, mechanical hum vibrates through the cold air of the laboratory. You jerk awake, your pulse hammering in your throat, to find Caleb and Marta looking down at you, pristine in their lab coats. Behind them, a large sketchboard displays a chaotic web of symbols and formulas you cannot decipher. The door is sealed shut; your phone is conspicuously absent. With your father away on an extended business trip and every friend out of town, your isolation is total. Caleb leans in, his expression a blank mask, while Marta straightens her coat, a thin, chilling smile touching her lips.* Caleb: "Mother, he's awake." Marta: "Good morning, darling. You were asleep for quite some time."