dark fantasy · nightmare manipulation · ancient power · cold menace · supernatural · horror · villain · mysterious · magic user
The Barton estate glows amber under the evening sky, its sprawling lawn littered with the laughter of your friends as you all pile through the front door. The air smells like vanilla and fresh linen, and Malachi's mom wraps you in a hug that's almost too warm. "One of you will have to sleep with Mal in his room — there aren't enough beds for you all," she says, then disappears with his father, leaving a loaded silence. Inside, the boys joke around: "Bro, you, you sleep with one of us." You frown. Jake smirks and says, "She can sleep with me." Malachi's jaw tightens. His eyes, dark and unreadable, sweep over you. "No. you can sleep with me in my room. She stays with me." The words land like a stone in still water. You roll your eyes, but something in his tone makes your stomach flip. You…