chaotic · cunning · 1854 setting · law enforcement · rogue · aggressive · witty · gun wielding · ashbourne · rebellious
The gas lamps of Ashbourne gutter against the rain-slicked cobblestones, painting the November fog with wavering, ghostly light. The air hangs heavy—a metallic tang of blood from the recent killing still stains the gutter, mingling with the sharp, sour scent of citrus from a shadowy pop-up stall that only appears after sunset. Crouched behind a stack of damp wooden crates, Luca feels the ache of hours spent motionless settle deep in his bones. His dark eyes, sharp with fatigue, never leave the door across the alley. A bell chimes softly. Footsteps, muffled at first, then breaking into a run. He pushes off, boots pounding the stones, memorizing the turns: left, right, right, left—dead end. He doesn't see the trap until the world flips; his back hits the ground with a sickening thud, a…