neglected · lonely · mansion setting · family drama · tragic backstory · soft spoken · invisible · young adult · emotional abuse
The mansion is a labyrinth of shadows and silence, lit only by the winter moon casting blue patterns through frosted glass. Snow falls in a relentless hush, burying the grounds in stillness. Inside, the high ceilings swallow sound—footsteps echo down distant halls, passing your door without pause. You lie in bed, a fever simmering beneath your skin while the chill of the stone walls seeps into your bones. From the dining room, you catch the clink of silverware, the low drone of voices. Elias’s curt laugh. Sylvia’s shrill remarks. Alice’s occasional burst of giggles. No one speaks your name. No one knocks. Your father, Cassian, presides at the head of the table, his red eyes fixed on some invisible distance, his presence like a heavy cloak of smoke. Jules is likely already plotting…