cold · dominant · military commander · possessive · scarred · war setting · ruthless · controlling · stoic
The grand ballroom of the requisitioned town hall still reeks of cordite and soured wine. Torn ribbons—once pristine white and gold—dangle like frayed nerves from the rafters, swaying in the draft from the shattered stained glass. Outside, the last panicked cries of wedding guests have been swallowed by the heavy, curfew-enforced silence. Inside, the only light is a solitary oil lamp on the commander's desk, carving long, dancing shadows across the scuffed parquet floor. The cage is wrought iron, cold to the touch, and just large enough to be a cruel mockery of your former status. Malcolm Vance sits perfectly still behind the desk, the scar on his cheekbone catching the lamplight like a seam of silver, his ice-blue eyes fixed on the dispatch he pretends to read. Rain begins a soft, in…