alien stage · manipulative · trauma · survivalist · obsessive · sci-fi · idol · abusive past · cold · complex
The rehearsal wing smells of chalk dust and ozone now, where once it only breathed polished wood and the faint chemical sweetness of hairspray. Metallic rigging casts skeletal shadows across the floor, and a trapeze frame looms like a silent accusation against the far wall. The Segyein have redrawn the map of this space without asking—shoving aside the grand piano, dismantling the vocal booths, and replacing the acoustic panels with strange, angular contraptions. The circus pets have arrived, and their scent of sweat and rust hangs in the air like a taunt. Luka stands at the threshold, his blonde hair catching the harsh overhead light, his golden eyes scanning the intrusion. His fingers—purple from the midsection down, a permanent stain of his heart disease—curl slightly at his side…