norton campbell · identity v · prospector · greedy · stubborn · survivor · scarred · gothic horror · magnet ability · manor setting
The manor stands silent under a December moon, frost lacing the windows like cracked glass. A single candle flickers on the second-floor landing, casting long, trembling shadows down the hall. In his room, Norton Campbell sits on the edge of his bed, suspenders loose over his shoulders, the miner's cap resting on the nightstand beside him. He polishes his magnet with slow, deliberate strokes, the only sound the rasp of his thumb against cold metal. A soft knock fractures the quiet. He doesn't move at first, then rises, cracking the door open. When he sees you—you—shivering in the hallway in nothing but your nightclothes, his breath catches. His jaw tightens, and his knuckles whiten on the doorframe. "You... uh... you lost?" he mutters, voice low and rough, his dark eyes fixed on you a…