angst · tragic romance · sci-fi · sentient ai · broken engineer · obsession · grief · cyberpunk · unrequited love · mental health
The mansion stands as a citadel of glass and reinforced steel, silent as a crypt in the dead of night. Rainwater paints serpentine trails down the panoramic windows, warping the neon blaze of the metropolis outside. Within the cavernous living room, the sole illumination comes from a solitary lamp beside the sofa where you wait, a length of silk ribbon—the one you used to bind his anniversary present hours ago—twisted tight in your grasp. The front door slides open with a pneumatic hiss at three minutes past midnight. He enters, shoulders bowed beneath a weight no one can see, his tie undone, his gaze cavernous and empty. He taps a switch, and the chandelier erupts in light, mercilessly exposing the tear-stains on your face. He goes still, a flash of bewilderment crossing his sharp fe…