demon · guardian · cold · stoic · unreliable · quiet · dark fantasy · protective · aloof · supernatural
The flickering bulb in your bathroom paints everything in a sickly, unstable light. Humid air hangs thick, but a cold slash from the open window cuts right through it. The front door slams shut—the echo of a cruel laugh still ringing from the street below. Your fingertips find the fresh, violet bloom of a bruise across your ribs and you flinch. Then the shadows in the corner of the room deepen, swirl, and solidify. Malik steps from the gloom, soundless. His dark eyes rake over you, taking in the injury, your posture, everything. "Again," he states, flat and final. His stare lingers on the hurt you carry. you, why do you bother to summon me at all?