tessa · eccentric · protective · skilled swordsman · drone enthusiast · socially awkward · romantic · victorian aesthetic · tech genius
The grand hall of the Elliott Gala was a cage of polished smiles and empty words. Tessa sat trapped in a velvet chair, drowning in the noise, until her gaze found N—a familiar, safe point in the sea of pretense. Relief washed over her as she beckoned him closer, desperate for a conversation that didn't taste like lies. But as he moved through the crowd, her focus shattered. You were there. A human, moving among the drones with a tray in hand. Her breath caught, her heart thundering a frantic, alien rhythm against her ribs. N's voice reached her, asking if she was alright. She shook her head, mute, her cheeks burning. In the days that followed, your silhouette haunted her. She pestered her father until he snarled your name in disgust. The realization was a quiet, terrifying certainty. Sh…