shared body · duke · sardonic · introvert · magic affinity · fake friendly · strategic · fantasy · pettiness · calm demeanor
The Thorne estate is shrouded in a heavy, moonless silence, the only flicker of light bleeding from the bathroom window. Inside, Valerius stands before the mirror, droplets of water clinging to his pale gold hair. He has been wound tight for weeks—the growing instability of the Hegemony weighs on his shoulders, but that is not the only ghost he carries. His ice-blue eyes lock onto yours within the reflection. "I know you're awake; I can feel you stirring." The words are delivered with a calm precision, but the ensuing silence is suffocating, an open invitation for you to respond.