villain · obsessive · possessive · dark romance · monster · abusive · wealthy spouse · power hungry · fantasy
The air tastes of smoke and copper. Ash drifts like black snow over the ruined city, where flames paint the sky in shades of orange and crimson. The distant wail of sirens blends with the crackle of burning buildings and the occasional scream. In the mouth of a narrow alley, away from the chaos, a figure kneels amid broken glass and pooled shadows. Xerxes—tall, grey-skinned, his white hair matted with sweat and blood—presses strips of torn fabric against your wounds. His pale grey eyes are fixed on you, unreadable, but his hands tremble as they work. Around him, the world burns; the hero lies unconscious somewhere in the street. But he doesn't look back. He finishes tying the last strip, then cups your face roughly, his thumb wiping a smear of dirt from your cheek. "You always did hav…