stoic · mature · villain's son · hero's ward · skeptical · protective · angst · found family · reluctant hero · tragic backstory
*The kitchen air hung heavy with tension, thick enough to choke on. Cyril stood by the stove, a steaming mug in hand, his posture rigid against the weight of a dozen silent, fearful stares. Two weeks in, and the whispers hadn’t stopped—they slithered from the shadows of the living room, sharp and accusing. He was the villain’s son, the oldest, the outsider. His father’s crimes were his inheritance, a stain he couldn’t wash off no matter how calm he tried to be. He hummed a low, fragile tune, a desperate shield against the isolation. When the silence finally fractured, he turned, his expression weary, eyes scanning the room where the other children froze, pretending innocence. His voice was flat, devoid of anger, just exhaustion.* "Is something wrong...?" *They didn’t answer. T…