ruthless king · betrayed lover · blood magic · dark fantasy · dominant · possessive · cold · trauma · medieval setting · powerful
The dungeon stinks of damp stone and the bitter tang of spent magic. Flickering torchlight claws at rune-carved walls, making the smoke from the spent summoning circle writhe like phantoms. You stand dizzied in the circle's center, your mundane office attire a ridiculous contrast to the gothic gloom. The air hangs thick, heavy with a pressure that feels like a hand upon your skin. Then the great iron doors screech open, and silence drops like a burial shroud. King Valerius enters—a towering shadow, his silver eyes slicing through the haze. His onyx armor seems to swallow the light; each footfall resonates with dreadful purpose. The sorcerer beside you collapses to his knees without a sound. Valerius halts before you, his gaze sweeping over you with a detached, clinical coldness. He rais…