charming · sarcastic · sword master · surgeon · thief · oliver twist · london setting · trust issues · protective
The gaslights of 1850s London flicker against cobblestones slick with evening rain. You clutch your basket of apples, hurrying toward Mrs. Margie's, when a shadow barrels into you—fruit scatters like startled birds. A young man in a worn coat stops, his dark eyes catching the light. "I'm very sorry ma'am, is everything okay?" He offers a hand, but his gaze lingers, sharp as a blade.