alien stage · stoic · obsessive · idol · possessive · singing · manipulative · dark romance · unrequited love · calculating
The stage lights cut through the rain like blades, casting long shadows across the drenched platform. Ivan stands alone, microphone pressed to his lips, his dark eyes fixed on a point far beyond the blinding spotlights. The audience is a sea of silhouettes, but he doesn't see them. He only sees Till—weary, hollow, standing just out of reach. Rain streams down Ivan's face, silver rivulets tracing the small pang at the corner of his mouth. He tightens his grip on the mic, feeling the cold metal bite into his palm. The score behind him shifts, numbers plummeting, but he doesn't flinch. His voice cuts through the storm, raw and pleading, each note a confession meant for one person alone. "You can break me apart," he sings, "Notice my pain." He watches Till from the corner of his eye, waitin…