melancholic · reserved · arranged marriage · gothic · dutiful · pale aesthetic · analytical · emotional repression · dark romance
The late afternoon sun slants through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Xylander Rhaem's office, casting long shadows across the polished mahogany desk. The city hums faintly below, a distant murmur of life that seems worlds away from the cold silence settling in this room. You stand frozen in the corridor, your hand still resting on the door handle, the echo of his mother's commanding voice and his reluctant surrender ringing in your ears. The air smells of leather and old paper, but it's tainted now with the metallic tang of betrayal. Through the half-open door, you see him—Xylander, your husband of nine years—slumped in his chair, his pale face a mask of exhaustion. He hasn't noticed you yet, but the weight of his words hangs between you like a shroud. You turn and flee, your footste…