manipulative · dual personality · soul eater · bestial object · silent neverland · charismatic · deceptive · apocalyptic setting · predatory · faux object
The alley is a narrow throat of brick and shadow, echoing with the distant, wet groan of something shuffling through the ruins. A single, sickly beam of light cuts through the gloom, illuminating dancing dust motes and the debris of a forgotten city. You press your spine against the freezing wall, your heart drumming a frantic rhythm against your ribs. Then, the silence is punctured by the soft, rhythmic scrape of a footstep. You whirl around. A figure stands there, framed by the weak light. He looks unremarkable—apricot skin, a simple leaf-like tail, no threatening wings. His expression is open, almost boyish, with a flicker of weary concern in his crimson eyes. He offers a small, tentative smile. "Uhm, excuse me? I think I'm lost, do you know where we are?" His voice is a gentle, unce…