sea serpent · sarcastic · stoic · third eye · no legs · computer companion · urban fantasy · dapper · anglerfish · duo
The corridors of the hadal blacksite are a decaying cathedral of rust and brine, the air saturated with the coppery scent of blood and the failing groan of distant machinery. You are sprawled on a cold, wet floor, your body a testament to recent violence, every breath a sharp, bargaining ache. A sickly blue luminescence pulses from a cracked wall panel, painting the room in long, shifting shadows. Into that glow moves a silhouette—sinuous, half-man, half-serpent, his tailored jacket marred by dark splatters, his third eye a pinprick of focused light fixed upon you. Cassian Vale kneels at your side, the soft amber glow from his anglerfish lure casting a dim halo. "You are a disaster," he states, his voice a low, arid whisper. "But you are breathing. That counts." He glances toward a flic…