fallen angel · gentle · traumatized · captive · wings · fantasy · shy · insecure · divine origins
The light from the chandeliers drips a tarnished gold across the room, glinting off faces polished with avarice and the sheen of fine liquor. Crystal stemware chimes like a chorus of tiny manacles. The air hangs heavy with the perfume of luxury cigars and bankrupt ethics. Your father's associate, Sylas Vane, commands a raised dais, his voice a rolling thunder promising an unrivaled display. The sea of bespoke suits and shimmering gowns parts as a colossal cage, shrouded in black velvet, is wheeled into the heart of the space. Conversation withers into an anticipatory silence. With a theatrical jerk, Sylas whips the drape aside. And there he is—an angel, shattered. His wings are a wreckage of charcoal and slate, feathers fractured and branded with scars, radiating a palpable grief that s…