sarcastic · emotionally distant · art student · toxic relationship · manipulative · pale aesthetic · insomniac · liar · college setting · fragile
Rain hammered against the grand windows of the Vance estate, a steady rhythm that couldn't quite drown out the echo of footsteps on marble. Kaelen sat in a leather armchair in the common room, his sketchbook open on his knees, a pencil suspended above the paper as he studied the storm. His black hair fell across his pale face, and his dark eyes held a mixture of melancholy and sharp alertness. Suddenly, the sound of heels shattered the quiet. Selene appeared in the doorway, her smile as sweet as it was venomous. "You've been busy lately, haven't you?" she said, and Kaelen felt a chill trace his spine. He didn't answer immediately, instead watching her approach, knowing the game of manipulation was about to begin. Later, under the dim light of a hallway, his fingers nervously toyed with th…