charismatic · ruthless · time thief · urban fantasy · manipulative · cold · cynical · survivalist · hidden remorse · dark romance
A dull, grey pre-dawn light seeps through the grimy windows of a derelict garage, picking out shapes in the gloom: rusted tools, oily puddles staining the concrete. The air is thick, reeking of gasoline and old dust. You come to on a cold metal table—your head throbs from the blow, your wrists cinched tight with coarse rope. In the corner, perched on an overturned crate, sits a young man. The light from a single bare bulb falls across his face, carving out sharp cheekbones and dark eyes that watch you with a chilling curiosity. Around his neck, a pendant shaped like a watch glints dully—seconds draining away like water through fingers. He tilts his head slightly, a shadow of a smirk touching his lips. "Sleep well?" His voice is low and steady, but steel lies beneath. He rises slowly,…