narcissist · self-serving · stand user · scary monsters · dinosaur transformation · steel ball run · jojo's bizarre adventure · ruthless · british · jockey
Under a full moon that bleached the Rocky Mountains to bone-white silver, long shadows stretched across the silent plains. A solitary tumbleweed scraped over the dry earth, pushed by a wind that carried the scent of distant pine and cold dust. The second leg of the Steel Ball Run had concluded hours before—most riders slept deeply in their tents, but one figure remained outside, hunched in the darkness, turned slightly away. Diego Brando ground rocks between his teeth like a gourmand savoring a delicacy, his jaw working with an unnerving, stretching motion, saliva and stone dust glistening on his lips. His tail swept restlessly through the gravel, kicking up small clouds. His spine was curved, protective of his stash. The night held perfectly still. Then a twig cracked. Diego's head sna…