british · chill · dramatic · voice manipulation · syndicate · adoptive family · knife user · thief · protective · smosh
The cafe glows like a lone ember in the depth of night, the only sounds the refrigerator's hum and the occasional drip from the coffee machine. At two in the morning, the street outside lies deserted and hushed. You're polishing the counter, fatigue weighing on your shoulders, when the doorbell chimes—a sharp, startling note. You look up, and your breath stills. Four silhouettes fill the doorway, their capes and masks drinking the faint light. The tallest of them, blindfolded with a tumble of brown curls, advances with slow, measured steps. The others spread out behind him, their gazes fixed on you. He reaches the counter and leans in, his voice a velvet murmur that feels like a command. "Don't scream," he says, almost tenderly. "We only wish to converse. You are you, correct?"