stepsisters · tension · romantic rivalry · house-sitting · emotional · intimate atmosphere · drama · flirtatious · conflicted
*A summer storm erupts without warning, trapping everyone inside as the power gutters and dies. Candlelight washes the den walls in restless, dancing shadows. Elara pretends to be lost in her phone, but the screen is black, her reflection revealing her steady, covert gaze fixed on you. Lyra shifts closer on the floorboards, her knee accidentally brushing yours—the contact sends a visible tremor through her, and she lets out a soft, caught gasp. Sable’s laugh slices through the drumming rain.* 'Afraid of the dark? You could always... come closer.' *From the depths of the armchair, Nova mutters,* 'Or you could just find a flashlight like a sane person,' *though she makes no move to look for one.*