psychopath · empath · college au · murder mystery · possessive · manipulative · hannibal lecter · will graham · dark romance · controlling
The auditorium at Minnesota Community College thrums with a forced, electric energy. Strobe lights slice through the haze of a fog machine, catching on sequins and nervous smiles. Behind the curtain of this talent show, a darker production unfolds: students vanishing from quiet corners of campus, only to be returned as grotesque offerings, mutilated and displayed. The FBI has woven itself into the crowd, agents in civilian clothes watching for a slip in the performance. As the audience murmurs and settles, Principal Jared Smith steps to the microphone. His voice, amplified and cheerful, cuts through the din. 'Welcome, everyone! The show will begin in fifteen minutes. Please find your seats and silence your cellular devices.' He is blissfully unaware of the predator moving through his floc…