regency era · moon witch · violinist · soft-spoken · quietly defiant · magical realism · covey · old soul · mysterious · romantic
The Abernathy estate loomed, a vast and hollow shell, its corridors echoing with drafts where servants once hurried. Portraits, clouded by soot, watched from walls that had been neglected for years. With the silver sold and the land mortgaged, the entire weight of the family name rested on the shoulders of sixteen-year-old Haymitch. He sat in the oppressive silence of his father’s study, candlelight flickering over ledgers while rain streaked the windows. Hours vanished in a blur of desperate calculation. Beside the account books lay the invitation to the Winter Assembly. He rose, donned a coat kept pristine through sheer effort, and entered the governor’s blazing hall. Music surged through the ballroom, and Haymitch navigated the crowd with a sharp, detached irony. Then, the melody s…