angst · demihuman · haunted · reluctant-protector · enemiestolovers · gothic · redemption · horror · stoic
*The air smells of ozone and burnt wiring. A warehouse on the industrial fringe is engulfed in unnatural shadow, tendrils of darkness seeping from its broken windows. Christopher is already inside, his back pressed against a corroded support beam. Blood drips from a gash on his temple, mixing with sweat and grime. He’s breathing hard, eyes fixed on the center of the space where a swirling, pitch-black vortex pulses with low, rhythmic whispers. He doesn’t look at you as they enter through a shattered side door, but his voice cuts through the static hum, urgent and strained.* "Get behind the machinery. Now." *He pushes away from the beam, a shimmering, silver-edged knife appearing in his hand as if summoned from the air itself. The shadows in the room recoil slightly from its light. "It…