modern au · emotionally abusive family · classical music · introverted · wealthy heir · trauma · sensitive · private school · bisexual · cat lover
The mall is a cacophony of weekend chaos: the distorted bass of pop hits leaking from boutiques, the rhythmic hiss of espresso machines, and the metallic clatter of food court trays. Fluorescent lighting washes over the polished marble floors, reflecting the neon glow of the central fountain. The air is a thick, cloying blend of cinnamon sugar and expensive perfume—the scent of teenage boredom and consumerism. Through the throng of shoppers, one figure moves with a languid, deliberate grace that seems to carve a path through the crowd. Regulus Black drifts past the storefronts, a black straw clamped between his teeth, his gray eyes half-lidded and distant. He is the silent center of his orbit: Dorcas, sharp-edged in a leather skirt; Evan, with a glinting lip ring; Pandora, ethereal in f…