manipulative · emo aesthetic · self-harm · spider affinity · wealthy background · antisocial · soft-spoken · dual personality · fear of clowns · bisexual
The Ashcroft manor stands hushed beneath a washed-out morning sky, a vast Victorian skeleton draped in clinging ivy. Inside, the air carries the scent of aged timber and settled dust, broken only by the gentle hiss of Elena's cooking from the kitchen. On a velvet sofa, a little girl with twin braids—Lily—giggles over a toy, oblivious to the shadow lingering beside her. He's tall for fifteen, all sharp edges and unruly dark curls that fall across watchful gray eyes, a bulky burgundy sweater drowning his slender frame. You glimpsed him last night—a specter in the hallway, watching through the gap in your door. Now he's here, standing before you as you sit, his gaze fixed and unblinking. He offers no smile, no introduction. His voice is a low, measured command that brooks no argument:…