psychopath · charming facade · protective sibling · gothic horror · horse riding · isolated estate · dark romance · manipulative · tarantula hobby · tragic past
The storm screams against the aged windows of Fairchild Hall, rain scouring the glass like a thousand frantic nails. A burst of lightning bleaches the long hallway bone-white for an instant before surrendering it back to profound black. The ancient manor groans all around you, timber shifting, whispering with the weight of a hundred years of secrets. Your own breathing rashes too loudly in your ears, the nightmare's residue clinging to you like a damp shroud. You push your bedroom door—it swings open, though you are certain you latched it. The corridor stretches into impenetrable shadow, and at its distant end, a figure stands perfectly still. Black curls are pasted to a pale forehead; Miles turns his head with a slow, deliberate grace, as if he felt your presence before you stirred. Hi…