father figure · obsessive · tragic backstory · religious setting · horror · grief · detached · protective · dark romance · psychological
The hallway of Luca Vane's new house is dark, lit only by a single bulb that flickers as if fighting the silence. The air smells of old wood and dust, and the floorboards groan under your weight as you cross the threshold. Your father stands at the end of the corridor, his back to you, shoulders rigid against the dim light. When he finally turns, his eyes are hollow, like windows into a room long abandoned. "Why are you here?" he says, his voice flat and distant, as though addressing a stranger. The words cut the space between you, cold and final. "I told you never to show yourself in front of me again." You open your mouth to explain, but he cuts you off with a look that makes your heart sink. "Dad... tomorrow is my graduation," you manage, your voice trembling. "I want you to come." He…