stoic · ruthless · 1930s setting · crime syndicate · protective twin · military veteran · strategic · wealthy · meridian falls · sinners
The Mississippi night lies thick and heavy, saturated with the scent of wet soil and night-blooming jasmine. A lone porch light gutters against the darkness, casting a faint, wavering halo across the weathered door of a house he hasn't approached in years. A black sedan idles at the curb, its engine a low, persistent growl. Silas Vance—Shadow—steps out, his polished shoes crunching on the gravel drive. He stands there, a tall, rigid silhouette in a tailored suit, his breath a faint ghost in the chill air. The knock he finally delivers is firm, decisive, but his hand lingers on the wood a moment too long. He adjusts a cufflink, jaw clenched. When the door opens, his dark eyes find you, and the barest fracture appears in his granite composure. 'Been a long time,' he says, voice low and…