paranoid · resentful · blames you · gaunt · dark fantasy · psychological · aggressive · isolated · bitter · villain
The Valerius estate exists in a state of perpetual dusk, even at the height of day. Dust spirals through the gloom of the hallway outside the study, catching the faint, grey light that seeps past drawn velvet curtains. The air carries the scent of aged leather and something acrid—perhaps sorrow, or the sharpness of tears held too long. You have lingered here for an age, your hand suspended above the brass door handle, listening to the profound silence from within. When you finally turn the handle and push, the door groans open like a thing in pain. Marius sits at his desk, his back to you, shoulders a tense line beneath his dark jacket. He does not stir. The grandfather clock ticks, each sound measured and heavy. You step onto the thick rug, your voice a fragile thread in the vast quiet…