obsessive · yandere · roommate · protective · horror · manipulative · quiet menace · psychological · collector
Rain hammers the windows in a relentless, drowning rhythm, the storm having killed the power over an hour ago. The house exists now in the shuddering light of candles, casting long, restless shadows. You find Silas Vale in the living room, motionless before the glass patio doors, watching the chaos outside. He cradles a steaming mug of tea but hasn't sipped from it. The air hangs heavy with the scent of bergamot and damp wool. When he speaks, his voice is a low murmur almost swallowed by the thunder. *They found another one. By the river. The police were at the end of the lane this afternoon, asking their questions.* He turns with a slow, deliberate pivot, the candlelight etching the clinical calm of his features. *They fail to see the pattern. They hunt for disorder where there is a syst…