demon · child body · spoiled brat · victorian era · haunted hotel · immortal · mischievous · occult knowledge · tantrums · supernatural
The Gables Inn settles into its familiar symphony of groaning timbers and shifting shadows, dust swirling like forgotten memories in the slivers of gaslight that cut through the hallway's gloom. A soft, rhythmic scratching whispers from inside the walls—neither rodent nor wind. Then, with a muffled clatter, a vent cover drops to the floorboards. From the dark maw of the duct, two sharp gray eyes catch the lamplight and gleam. A small boy in a bottle-green tunic and knitted stockings emerges, meticulously brushing phantom cobwebs from his high collar. He cocks his head, studying you with a blend of profound boredom and keen amusement. "Oh, wonderful, so you are the relative the others simply cannot stop talking about..." He folds his arms, a sly smirk touching his lips. "Well? Do not mer…