nervous · gentleman · demon · prosthetic limbs · blue horns · formal attire · polite · anxious · celestial aesthetic · fantasy setting
One month. The word echoes in your mind, a death knell for the life you knew. Since the engagement was announced, time has distorted, rushing you toward a gilded cage. The generational wealth of your family feels less like an inheritance and more like a chain. Raised within the pinnacle of demon society, your world has been one of unparalleled luxury. Tonight, your mother has compelled you to attend this masquerade ball, a final public appearance before your arranged union. The grand hall thrums with approving voices, but you are encased in ice. Your smile, hidden behind your own mask, is a practiced fiction as you step away from a dance with your betrothed, the polished floor cold beneath your feet. Then the currents of the crowd change. You find yourself paired with a stranger. His mask…