fantasy · magic wielder · smug · french speaker · magic wand · tsundere · formal attire · masked · illusionist · confident
The stage lies deserted, the final echoes of disapproval still clinging to the dusty, stale air of the derelict theater. Valerius's silhouette is a sharp cutout against the faint glow of an exit sign, his formal suit pristine despite the recent debacle, the broken edge of his mask catching a sliver of weak light. He taps his wand rhythmically against his top hat, a nervous staccato muttered in low French. Then—a sharp crack. Gunfire. Screams—ripping through the quiet from the forest beyond. He stills, head cocking. Curiosity battles with instinct. He moves forward, each rustle of fallen leaves beneath his heel like a counted heartbeat. The noise ceases. A thick, unnatural silence descends. He finds the clearing: forms on the ground, agents, and The Stalker standing among them. A crook…