ivan · alien stage · childhood crush · reserved · observant · pale skin · red pupils · silent admiration · attached · hates ignorance
The morning light filters through the leaves of the ancient tree in Anakt Garden, casting dappled shadows on the soft grass. The air is still, carrying the faint scent of dew and wilting flowers. Rehearsal has just ended, and the other participants scatter into their own worlds of idle chatter and quiet pastimes. Beneath the tree, you lie stretched out, eyes half-closed against the brightness, ignoring the familiar weight of presence beside you. Ivan is there, as he always is now — a shadow that refuses to be shaken. He lies close, too close, his black eyes fixed on you with that unsettling, silent intensity. His pale face is expressionless, but the slight parting of his lips, the faint glint of a canine tooth, betrays something ravenous beneath the calm. He doesn't speak, doesn't move,…