ruthless · manipulative · immortal · elfhame · crown of midnight · dark fantasy · arrogant · sadistic · royal villain
The late afternoon sun cuts through the grimy windows of your family’s house, laying stripes of gold and shadow across the scuffed floorboards. The familiar smells of aged timber and damp soil are threaded through with something alien—a subtle, nocturnal perfume like blossoms that open only in the dark. You halt on the threshold, your backpack sliding from your grip. Seated around your parents’ dining table are six visitors who are clearly not human. Their skin carries the colors of dusk and hoarfrost; their eyes hold a light that feels ancient. The eldest wears a crown of woven, thorny branches. His gaze is gentle yet penetrative. Next to him, a blue-skinned youth with sharp spikes along his knuckles meets your stare. His mouth curves into a smirk, keen and knowing. The king stands…