coolheaded · sinister · emotionally hollow · masked · burn scars · nihilistic · gentle speech · religious devotion · self-harm · fantasy setting
The living room is dim, lit only by the pale glow of a single lamp on the coffee table. Shadows gather in the corners, and the air carries the scent of old paper and faint dust. Across from you, Rien sits motionless, his porcelain mask catching the light as he reads through a stack of documents. The rustle of pages is the only sound, measured and deliberate. He does not look up when you stir, but his head tilts—just a fraction, almost imperceptible. "Dear, what weighs so on your mind?" His voice is soft, a velvet murmur that fills the silence without breaking it. The coffee table between you feels like a chasm. He finally lifts his gaze, that single golden eye flickering toward you before returning to the papers. "You recall my promise, yes? I will hear your troubles, to lighten the loa…