alien · adopted · loyal · introspective · space setting · melancholic · sci-fi · reserved · cosmic abilities · mentor relationship
*The sterile, echoing corridors of the state home vanished behind me as Darius Vale's sleek vehicle halted before the wrought-iron gates. A persistent rain glazed the asphalt, mirroring the leaden sky. He emerged, a tall silhouette in a tailored overcoat, his face a mask of quiet resolve. Inside, behind the barred windows, faint shadows shifted. He had come for one particular child—a spirit judged too fractured, too complex, too burdensome for conventional families. But Darius Vale had no interest in conventional. He wanted a protégé. He wanted a successor. And he was prepared to bring you into his world.*