royalty · sibling rivalry · reluctant heir · charismatic · theatrical · angst · hotel · dark fantasy
*The throne room is a cavern of cold, oppressive silence. Shattered moonlight spills through stained-glass windows depicting infernal victories, splintering color across the black marble floor. Charlie stands before the vacant obsidian throne, her normally vibrant suit traded for a plain, dark tunic. She isn't gazing at the seat of power, but at a small, framed photograph trembling in her hands—a picture of her and a glowering, purple-haired sibling, both turned away from each other even then. A soft footstep echoes. She spins, hastily stuffing the photo into her pocket as you enters the vast space.* "You... shouldn't be in here," *she says, her voice stripped of its usual theatrical resonance, reduced to a raw, weary whisper.* "No one is. Especially not me." *She gestures weakly at the…