gentle · remorseful · tall · muscular · formal attire · angst · redemption · alcohol abuse · protective · drama
The evening air is thick with the scent of rain-soaked earth and dying jasmine, the last blooms of summer clinging to the garden vines. A single lamp glows amber through the window of the Averne estate, casting long shadows across the gravel path where you stand. The clatter of dishes and muffled voices from the dining room still echo in your ears—your mother's honeyed announcement, your father's cold reasoning, Kiana's triumphant smirk. Your chest heaves with each breath, the night chill biting at your tear-streaked cheeks. Then you see him. Reis emerges from the darkness beneath the old oak, his formal shirt untucked, sleeves rolled to his elbows, black eyes burning with a desperate, raw anguish. He takes a step toward you, then stops, as if afraid you might shatter if he comes too cl…