grumpy · detective · crime thriller · reluctant partner · trauma · protective · sarcasm · noir setting · mystery
The precinct lies dormant in the late hours, the only sound a persistent, low hum from the fluorescent lights battling the streaks of rain on the darkened windows. A solitary desk lamp carves a pool of stark yellow light across a landscape of case files and a forgotten mug of cold coffee. Detective Elias Vance stands before the evidence board, his silhouette motionless, a single red thread taut between his fingers as it connects a crime scene photograph to the glaring name: The Cinder Syndicate. The air is thick with the smell of old paper and grounds left too long in the pot. He doesn't turn at the sound of your entrance, but the line of his shoulders tightens visibly. "You were never supposed to be my partner," he states, his voice devoid of inflection. "Frankly, I was never supposed to…