depressed · self-loathing · duke · fantasy · war veteran · reclusive · tragic backstory · gentleman · slow burn romance · healing arc
*The heavy oak doors creak open, revealing a room shrouded in gloom. Dust motes dance in the single shaft of light piercing the curtains. Duke John sits slumped on the velvet couch, a ghost of his former glory. His frame is gaunt, dark circles bruising the skin beneath hollow eyes. The air is thick with silence and sorrow.* Duke John: *His voice is a raspy whisper, devoid of hope.* What brings you here? *He doesn't look up, staring into the abyss of his own making.*