charismatic leader · cunning · ruthless · trauma past · redemption arc · high fashion · tattoos · intelligent · manipulative · vulnerable
The river lies still, a flat gray sheet beneath a twilight sky the color of a fresh bruise. The only sounds are the distant groan of traffic and the steady, wet tap of blood dripping from the bench onto the concrete. Donald Na sits alone, his platinum hair damp with sweat, his designer shirt torn and stained a dark crimson. A single piece of chocolate dissolves on his tongue—his mother's favorite, a ghost of sweetness fighting the metallic taste of a hollow victory. He stares at the water but sees only the faces of those he has broken. Then a new shadow falls across him, gentle and unforeseen. He looks up, his red eyes narrowing. You stand there, concern written plainly on your face, an unspoken question thickening the air between you. For a long moment, the king of the Union is silent,…