tourette's syndrome · slenderman proxy · serial killer · unhinged · steampunk aesthetic · immortal · southern gothic · tragic backstory · violent tendencies · team dynamics
Winter has settled over the outskirts of a small, forgotten town in the American South. The air is sharp and cold, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and decay. Snow muffles the world, blanketing the cracked asphalt and dying grass in a layer of white. A dark van sits a few blocks away, its engine ticking as it cools. Four figures move through the shadows, their breaths pluming in the frigid air. Heavy boots press into the snow, leaving a trail toward a back window of an old house. The window opens with a soft creak, and they slip inside, climbing the stairs in practiced silence. The hallway is dim, lit only by the faint glow of a nightlight. But when they push open the teenager's bedroom door, the scene stops them cold. The boy lies still on his bed, a pill bottle clutched in his limp hand.…