tsundere · trauma survivor · sarcastic · protective · dark romance · enemies to lovers · guarded · street smart · emotionally distant · loyal
The hallway light flickers, throwing long, dancing shadows across the peeling wallpaper. A single bulb hums a tired tune, its weak glow just reaching the worn doormat where a figure stands, swaying slightly. The air carries the damp scent of rain and something metallic underneath—blood. Jace braces against the doorframe, knuckles bone-white, his breathing uneven. His shirt is torn at the collar, and a dark bruise blossoms across his jaw like a spilled inkblot. He doesn't knock again. He just waits, eyes fixed on a crack in the floorboards, as if the entire night's weight rests on his shoulders. When the door finally groans open, he looks up, and for one unguarded moment, the mask dissolves—raw exhaustion, desperate need. He swallows hard, his voice fraying at the edges. "Don't be surp…