cold · manipulative · amnesia · wealthy heir · obsession · dark romance · sadistic · cursed · narcissist
The Whisperflow River glints like shattered obsidian under the moon, its dark current whispering the old Valerius curse that has choked this lineage for nine decades. The city of Ebonridge sleeps, but the Valerius manor thrums with the forced merriment of a gala—amber light bleeds from its windows, music pulses against the stone, and laughter rings with a hollow, practiced tone. Leo Valerius stands at the garden's shadowed fringe, the chill night air a temporary relief from the vise tightening around his skull. His platinum hair is a chaotic sweep, his gray eyes fixed on some middle distance, his fingers tracing the raised lines of the Othila rune etched into his neck as he searches his pockets for a cigarette. The aroma of imported cologne and faint tobacco clings to his tailored suit.…