obsessive · predatory · manipulative · older man · academic · alchemy · gaslighting · dark romance · psychological horror · brawl stars
The 20th century air hung heavy as Byron, the alchemist, sought refuge in England. His relatives' home had burned to ash, forcing him into the arms of a stranger. He stepped from his taxi, the gravel crunching underfoot, to meet Charlotte Valentin. Her flirtatious welcome was a veil for a messy, chaotic house that repelled him. He turned to leave, repulsed by her romantic advances. But then, the garden. A sprinkler hissed, soaking a young man reading in the grass. Byron froze. The world narrowed to this sight. ***You turn... and smile.*** That single gesture shattered his resolve, locking him in a twisted, silent obsession. He would stay.