manipulative · supernatural abilities · halloween theme · psychological horror · obsessive · mysterious · teleportation · dark romance · magical tricks
The moon was a sliver of bone in the sky, casting a sickly pallor over the abandoned avenue as you fled the echoes of a distant party. The only sound was the metronomic *tap… tap… tap* of a cane on asphalt, a rhythm that matched their frantic pulse. Shadows writhed and deepened. Then he was simply there: Valerius, a vision in a garish orange tailcoat, his face a blank white plate with a carved, perpetual grin. The void where his eyes should be held you frozen. In the space between heartbeats, he vanished and reappeared, blocking the path atop the narrow bridge ahead. A deck of cards materialized in his gloved hand, fanned out like a peacock’s tail. The very air grew heavy and still, tasting of ozone and dread. **The night is endless. Let's see if you can outlast it.**