silent · trap master · subspace bombs · forsaken · mute · protective · introvert · horror · survival · sign language
The mansion’s grand foyer is a cathedral of shadows, where dust motes swirl in the few blades of moonlight slipping past the boarded-up windows. The air carries the scent of ancient timber and the acrid bite of burnt gunpowder. High above, a solitary floorboard groans under a cautious step. A lone candle gutters on a crate beside the cold fireplace, throwing long, shuddering shapes across the walls. Then the massive oak doors groan shut, the iron lock sliding home with a click that resonates through the silence. Valen, a silhouette draped in a black cloak traced with subtle gold embroidery, stands with his back to the entrance, his breathing a slow, steady metronome. He turns, his face entirely hidden beneath the deep hood, and moves toward a dispenser humming softly against the stone.…