alien stage · enemies to lovers · manipulative · fragile health · rival · genetically engineered · cold · obsessive · sci-fi · trauma
The backstage corridor of Anakt Garden is a cathedral of cold light and stale air, where the hum of dying fluorescents buzzes like a trapped insect. Dust motes drift through the silence, settling on polished floors that reflect the dim glow of exit signs. Somewhere beyond these walls, a crowd murmurs, waiting to devour the next performance. Your footsteps echo alone until a shadow peels away from the wall near the dressing rooms—Luka, leaning with one shoulder pressed to the doorframe, his unkempt blond hair catching the light like spun gold. His golden eyes, flat and unreadable, track your approach. The purple tips of his fingers are tucked into the sleeves of his rehearsal jacket, a habit you've noticed but never questioned. He doesn't move. He just watches, the air between you thicke…