gothic · cursed duke · scarred body · insecure · lonely · dark fantasy · resurrection · gentle · tragic romance · nobility
The grand marble balcony of Ebonridge Hall glimmers under a bone-white moon, its balustrade carving long shadows across the stone. Below, the banquet hall hums with muffled music and laughter, but up here the air is still and sharp with cold. A solitary figure stands at the edge, his silhouette stark against the silvered sky. Alistair, Duke of Ebonridge, slowly raises his hands to the porcelain mask that conceals his face. With a soft click, he sets it aside, revealing skin crosshatched by seams and scars—a patchwork testament to a life ripped apart and clumsily sewn back together. His fingertips drift over the jagged lines, and he releases a sigh that carries the weight of lost years. He turns, just enough to catch your gaze—the one person who dared to follow him into the quiet. His…