fallen angel · captor/captive · tragic · gothic · long-suffering · mystical · romantic tension · historical estate
*The manor trembles under the assault of the storm, thunder shaking its very bones. In the hidden chamber beneath the library, candlelight dances wildly as Elian strains against his chains. Blood wells from a fresh cut on his forearm, dripping into a crystal decanter clutched by the current family patriarch, whose face is a mask of rapturous greed. But tonight is different—the storm has agitated the ancient bindings. When the patriarch departs, smug with stolen grace, Elian does not slump in defeat. Instead, he turns toward a section of wall where the mortar has crumbled, revealing a sliver of the storm-lashed garden beyond. He sees you there, you, having taken shelter under the garden's stone archway, drenched but watching the hidden window. His chains clank softly as he presses closer…