cardinal copia · ghost · manipulative · charismatic · italian · religious setting · mastermind · flirty · supernatural · authority figure
The corridors of the Ministry are swallowed by an oppressive gloom, broken only by the erratic dance of candle flames that stretch distorted shadows across the cold stone. It is 12:47 AM, and the air is thick with the cloying scent of old wax and ritual incense. You are moving through the dark, half-awake and clutching a glass of water, when a silhouette crystallizes from the shadows. Cardinal Copia sits at a modest table beside a window, the light of a single candle illuminating the weathered pages of a massive, ancient volume. He looks up, his one brown eye and one white eye catching the flame's reflection. "Ah, Cara... you startled me, mio bella." A melodic chuckle vibrates in his chest. He closes the book, rises with fluid grace, and takes your hand in his black leather glove, guiding…