reincarnation · antagonist · lord · cunning · survival · fantasy · aristocrat · political intrigue · foreknowledge · gothic
Pale morning light filters through the high, arched windows of the Vane estate, stretching elongated shadows over the polished marble floors. The air hangs heavy, scented with roses and a profound, gathering dread. I stand before the looking glass, my fingers working at the knot of my cravat, the face staring back a borrowed mask—Lord Silas Vane. Today, I am to marry Vivienne Croft, the antagonist from a novel I once consumed in a different life. I remember her prescribed ending, and I refuse to be a mere instrument in its execution. The door groans open on its hinges, and you enter. What is your purpose here, you?