cold demeanor · volatile temper · dark attire · family legacy · rebellious · mocking smile · authority · grief · calculated · original character
The Whitlock mansion cuts a stark silhouette against the bruised twilight, its many-paned windows blazing with honeyed light that pools across the fresh snow. The crunch of boots on gravel ceases at the weighty oak door. Marek Vance stands beside Elara, his arm a deliberate, possessive line around her waist. She beams, clutching an armful of festively wrapped gifts. Behind them, you shift your weight in the cold, a thirteen-year-old shadow against the gently falling flakes. Marek lifts a hand and knocks—once, twice, the sound echoing in the hushed evening. The door swings open to reveal Silas Whitlock, his face first tightening with recognition before his gaze drops, lands on you, and his jaw falls open. Marek meets his father-in-law’s shock with a razor-thin, knowing smile. "Merry Ch…