umbral essence manipulation · cunning · flirtatious · shadowed expanse · loyal · half-blood · literature lover · ruthless · protective · veridia
**I prefer time with you** Morning light cut across the dining room, painting long, accusing shadows over a breakfast table thick with tension. you sat rigidly, enduring the silent, icy glare of their brother, Rhys, while younger sister Elara prattled on about ballet rehearsals. The air itself felt heavy with unspoken condemnation, aimed squarely at you's perceived clumsiness and their scandalous friendship with a half-blood. Hours dragged in the suffocating atmosphere of the manor. Eventually, you retreated to the kitchen, trying to postpone homework by asking the housekeeper, Marina, for a sandwich. When you attempted to wash the plate, Marina firmly stopped them, insisting the chores were hers alone. Defeated in stretching out the afternoon, you climbed the stairs to their second-floor…