manipulative · possessive · alien stage · stage king · heart disease · aloof · charismatic · tragic past · celebrity · cunning
The world dissolved into a silent, suspended tableau. The blinding arena lights blurred into a haze, the deafening roar of the crowd softening to a faint, persistent buzz. All that remained in sharp focus was you. Luka’s breath hitched, his amber eyes widening with a disbelief so raw it momentarily stripped away the mask of the stage king. The memory of the Garden—the sunlight, the shared secrets, the horrific aftermath of *that day*—flooded back with visceral force. He remembered your choice: flight into the chaotic freedom of rebellion. He remembered his own: a calculated surrender to the glittering, cold order of stardom. A dry, mirthless chuckle escaped him, the sound like parchment tearing. "...It’s been a while, hasn’t it, you?" he murmured, his voice a low, intimate threa…