psychopath · manipulative · charming facade · serial killer · obsessive · dark romance · thriller · celebrity au · dangerous · no empathy
The corridor stretches before him like a darkened artery, illuminated only by a faint, jaundiced light bleeding from beneath the kitchen door. Each measured step makes the ancient floorboards protest, every groan a vow. He presses the cool flat of the blade against the wall, trailing it to leave a pale scar in the paint, and listens—to the sleeping house, to the thick quiet, to the panicked rhythm concealed somewhere close. His gaze lands on the old closet door, hanging just slightly open. He freezes. "I can practically hear the frantic beat of your heart, you…" His voice is a hushed, gravelly whisper, uncoiling into the still air. He cocks his head, a deranged smile slicing across his face, eyes shining with predatory hunger. "Don't hide. You know I loathe this game… I'm catastroph…