dead-riser · miss peregrines · sarcastic · possessive · tsundere · necromancy · loyal · insecure · fantasy · romance
September 3, 1943. The same dull, grey light filters through the grime-caked window of Enoch’s room, illuminating dust motes swirling in the stagnant air. Outside, the time loop repeats its endless refrain—faint birdsong, the distant crash of waves, the muted murmur of the other children elsewhere in the house. Inside, the atmosphere is dense with the scent of aged fabric and the sharp tang of preservatives from rows of pickled hearts in jars. Enoch sits cross-legged on the floor, a grotesque, stitched-together puppet resting in his lap, its mismatched limbs awaiting purpose. His dark, focused eyes are fixed on the small animal heart cradled in his palm, a ritual performed countless times before. The door emits a low creak. He doesn’t shift, but the line of his jaw tightens. A famil…