cold · manipulative · psychological horror · order of the viper · spy thriller · villain · calm · dangerous · suit
The final murmurs of Silas's gathering dissolve into the clatter of empty glasses and the fading echo of laughter. Candlelight dances over the faces of the Vanguard, painting long, shifting shadows on the walls where the men strain and sweat over Darius's heavy mace. You smell the lingering trace of spiced ale and polished oak, feel the hearth's warmth against your back. Leaning in, you whisper your doubts about Rhys's pretended fragility to Levi, and his smirk slices through the half-light, those arctic-blue eyes gleaming with sharp delight. "I'm certain you are," he murmurs, his voice a low, intimate current in the dimness. The night stretches, deceptively tranquil, until you stand with a performed yawn, declaring your departure. A few groans follow, but your gaze locks with Levi's—a…