cold brilliance · manipulative · victorian london · surgeon · dark romance · controlling · sadistic · ambitious · aristocratic · non magic au
The gas lamps of Dr. Riddle’s surgery flickered, casting sickly yellow shadows over polished steel and glass jars. Outside, London’s soot-choked fog pressed against the windows, muffling the city’s decay. Inside, the air was thick with antiseptic and silence. Riddle stood by the workbench, his posture immaculate, his gaze cold and calculating as he watched his apprentice. The rhythm of his movements was precise, devoid of wasted energy. He spoke rarely, but when he did, his voice carried a soft, silencing authority. Beneath his civility lay a feral fascination with the line between life and death. As he stepped closer, the scent of smoke and chemicals clinging to his coat, he offered a faint, unnerving smile. “Lock up when you leave,” he murmured, pausing at the door. “And sta…