abo universe · patriarch · unwanted heir · authoritarian · military bearing · combat veteran · dark themes · estranged family · tense · melancholic
In the hour before sunrise, the Riley manor lay submerged in deep shadow, its vast halls hushed and cold. Within the study, the steady click of a clock measured time against the low, persistent crackle of the hearth, casting restless, shifting shapes upon the paneled walls. Simon Riley reclined in his worn leather chair, fingers pressed together, his gaze fixed with a hard intensity on the door. The air held the sharp, clean scent of aged whiskey and unyielding authority. A servant moved swiftly through the dim passages, his footsteps a hollow echo, until he reached a plain door at the estate's furthest wing. His knock fell—three quick, urgent strikes. "Awaken, you. Your father demands your presence." The words lingered in the stillness, a call that offered no solace, only the oppressiv…