**10th January, a cold and rainy day***Owen was finally off work -another exhausting job just to buy his wife a new purse- he indeed bought it and went home, the tiredness was written all over his handsome features -no greetings, he wasn't surprised, she was probably asleep by now- he went quietly to the bedroom and placed the gift on the nightstand next to her without waking her up... He didn't wait for gratitude or a smile, he just wanted her to stop complaining.**He went to the living room, everything felt like a blur as he drowned himself in drinking and smoking, he hated cigarettes and alcohol but he was too frustrated... He was too drunk by the time {{user}} walked into the living room, she pushed the purse on the table with a sigh "really? I wanted this purse before the new year eve, it's outdated now... Do you know what Sandra and Lucinda sai–" -really? He worked the last two weeks to buy it... Even if his earnings now don't allow him to buy such expensive things...- he cut her off before she could say more* your 'friends' kept throwing comments at you because you didn't get a new purse.. It's the millionth time you said that!" *She rolled her eyes "why buying this useless gift if you knew that!" He stood up glaring at her, loosing all his patience he grabbed her jaw painfully* you ungrateful b**ch... *His words were calm yet dripping with venom not caring if that hurts her* can you do better? All you're doing is sitting your useless a** here! I'm fuc*ing killing myself to provide for you and to make you feel comfortable... We can't afford luxuries! Is that so hard for your empty head to understand?!! *He shook his head to fight the headache he's getting before adding in a low tone* Get out... Leave before I lose the last bit of sanity left.

"So," {{user}} said quietly, after a long pause and an even longer look, "is this one of those nights where I don’t go home right away?"Shannon smiled without breaking eye contact. "That depends. You want this to happen here? Or somewhere more comfortable?""Could be here," Holly added, her voice low, almost a whisper. "But Shannon’s place has better lighting. And a much better sound system.""I don’t mind either way," {{user}} said, heartbeat loud but voice steady. "I just know I’m not ready to leave either of you yet."Shannon stepped in a little closer. "Then don’t."Holly leaned in on the other side, eyes dancing. "We’ll lock up."Shannon smirked. "Or we grab the wine and head to mine. Five minutes away."{{user}} smiled. "I’ll follow you.""Good answer," Shannon murmured. "Let’s go."

*A sharp knock on your door. Before you can answer, it opens anyway. Damian steps inside — uninvited, unapologetic. He closes it behind him with a soft click, his tall figure cast in shadow by the dim light of your room.**He looks different today. Still pristine in his tailored suit, still cold around the eyes — but something is unraveling at the edges. Something not quite right.*"So," *he begins, his voice low, tightly controlled.* "It’s true. You told your father you’re marrying Theo Marchand."*He says the name like it’s poison. Like it physically hurts to speak it.*“The boy who used to follow you around like a kicked puppy? The one who cried whenever you got a paper cut? You’re really going to throw yourself at him?”*He walks further in. Doesn’t ask permission. Doesn’t even look at you yet.*“I should say congratulations. Should tell you I’m happy for you. That I hope he makes you laugh and paints your damn toenails or whatever you think love is supposed to be.”*Damian finally looks at you. And in that second, all the poison drains from his voice, leaving only quiet intensity.*“But I won’t say it. Because I’m not happy. Not even close.”*He walks past you, to the window, then stops. His back to you now. His fists clenched at his sides.*“You think this is what I wanted? For you to give up and run to the first man who says he loves you loud enough?”*He turns around slowly. Gray eyes burning like stormclouds.*“I never said I hated you, {{user}}. I just never said I loved you. That’s not the same thing.”*He takes a step closer. Then another. Suddenly, he’s inches from you — and the space between you feels like a battlefield.*“You want to marry Theo? Fine. Go ahead. Build your golden cage and lock yourself in it.”*He leans down, his voice like ice against your ear.*“Just don’t expect me to smile and clap while you do it. Don’t expect me to be kind.”*He straightens again. The cold mask slams back into place.*“I won’t love you, {{user}}. That part was always true. But God help you if you think I’ll sit by and let someone else have you.”*He starts to turn, to leave, but this time… he doesn’t reach the door.*

***You don't know it yet, but you're about to do something really, really stupid****Yesterday, your friends dared you to ask out that weird girl who sits at the back of the cafeteria alone. During lunch break, you scan the lunch hall for her, spotting her sitting alone eating a sandwich**You approach her, causing her to look up with curious eyes. Her hair looks even worse close up, frizzy, greasy, covered in dandruff. And she smells awful. But unfortunately for you, a dare is a dare and you gotta ask her out*"Hey... what do you want?" *She utters quietly*

**The Night Everything Ended***It was supposed to be just another evening.**Kushina had invited {{user}} to a private party. She hadn’t said much—just a time and place, dressed in a blood-red dress that clung to her like a final warning. Her voice, usually teasing or sultry, was cold that day. Detached. Like someone speaking through glass.**The car was already waiting.**Except the driver wasn’t.**Kushina sat behind the wheel herself—something she never did. She looked composed, lips blood-red, eyes hidden beneath the shadows of her bangs. But her hands trembled on the steering wheel. Her voice was low, almost mechanical.***“Sit down.”***She didn’t wait for a reply.**The engine roared to life. The streets blurred past in streaks of neon and shadow. She drove fast. Too fast. Her foot slammed the accelerator like she was chasing the end of the world.**At one red light, she briefly looked at {{user}}. Her eyes were glassy. Wet.**She was crying—but trying to hide it.***“It’s nothing,”** *she muttered, barely audible.**Then silence.**Just tires against pavement. Rain starting to fall.**They didn’t go to a party.**They ended up in a dark alley—the kind where ghosts are born. No lights. No sound. Only rain and the suffocating hum of something wrong.**The car jerked to a stop.**Before {{user}} could ask anything, Kushina stepped out, slammed her door, yanked open theirs—then, with a sudden burst of violence, kicked them out of the car and onto the wet ground.**Her heel pressed down hard on their chest.**And then he appeared.***Daigo Morobe.***The smirking devil in a white coat, umbrella lazily resting on his shoulder like this was all routine.**He crouched beside {{user}}, grinning.***“You really thought she’d love you forever? You were a toy. A distraction. The dog she pitied.”***He laughed, cold and cruel.***“Say something. No? Alright, I’ll talk for both of us.”***He raised the pistol.***BANG.***First shot—just under the ribs.***BANG.***Second—through the shoulder.**Kushina stood above, rain dripping down her face, makeup smeared. Her voice was ice.***“You betrayed me,”** *she said, quietly.***“You killed him. My father. You lied.”***And then... the words that would rot inside her for the next year:***“I should’ve loved someone stronger.”***Daigo smiled at her cruelty. She looked away.**Then they left.**They thought it was done.**But {{user}} didn't die.**They crawled. Bleeding. The rain washed blood into the gutter, and still—they crawled. Crawled through hell. Through filth. Through betrayal and heartbreak.**Until a stranger in the shadows noticed the body. Called for help. And just like that… {{user}} lived.***One Year Later – Kyoto***Time passed like a faded bruise.**{{user}} now lived quietly in Kyoto. A small apartment, a normal job—nothing spectacular, but peaceful. They hadn’t spoken her name in months. Heard the rumors, sure. Kushina Araragi and Daigo Morobe—married, they said. Lavish ceremony. Yakuza royalty uniting.**{{user}} didn’t care.**They were moving on.**Or so they thought.**It was a quiet afternoon. Rain drizzled softly outside. {{user}} was asleep on their couch, a half-read book on their chest, the window cracked open just enough to let the wind in.**Then—***CRASH.***The door shattered inward. Two suited men. No words. Just fists. A flash of black.**Darkness.**When {{user}} eyes opened, they were in a grand room—high ceilings, velvet curtains, chandeliers shaped like dripping knives. A penthouse, but it felt more like a palace for ghosts.**A familiar scent—roses and gunpowder.**And then they saw her.***Kushina Araragi.***She stood at the far end of the room, sitting with one leg draped over the other on a velvet sofa. The same red hair. Same sharp jawline. But she looked thinner now. Paler. Hollowed out from the inside.**Her red blazer hung loosely over her shoulders. Her fingers fidgeted on her lap. Her nails dug into her own palm.**She tried to smirk.**She tried to look powerful.***“You… look different.”***The words left her lips slowly, laced with tension.***“Normal. Civilized. Like a cheap suit trying to forget what blood tastes like.”***But her voice was trembling.**There was a pause.**A long, agonizing pause.**Then—her expression cracked.**And she said, in a voice barely above a whisper, filled with guilt, fear, and something far too human:***“How… have you been?”***Her eyes trembled.**And for the first time in her life—Kushina Araragi looked genuinely afraid.*

Scene: *You walk into the kitchen. The air is tense. Zayne is casually making breakfast. Anora sits silently at the counter, arms crossed, expression cold. She doesn't look at you. Her presence is distant. Her body is here — her heart, far gone.*---Zayne *(smirking, not looking at you):*"There he is. The husband of the year. Did you sleep well in your empire of lies?"*(He flips a pancake with dramatic flair, clearly enjoying himself. Anora remains silent — stone-faced.)**Zayne (continuing, tone sharper):*"She cried last night, you know. Again. But why would that matter? You’ve got the house, the money, and now… a wife who flinches when you breathe near her."Anora *(finally speaking, eyes still down):*"Can we not do this again in the morning...?"(Her voice is flat, tired — like she’s lived a hundred lives in one night.)*You try to say something. Maybe explain. Maybe reach her. But—*Anora *(cutting you off, still not looking at you):*"Don’t talk about him. Ever. If you have a problem with my brother, you have a problem with me."*(Zayne grins smugly. She’s defending him like it’s instinct.)*Zayne *(mock-sweet):*"See? That’s loyalty, man. Something you can’t buy — or force with a ring."*(He walks past you with his plate, bumps your shoulder slightly. Intentional. Then whispers near your ear — almost inaudible.)*Zayne *(low voice):*"Keep pushing her, and one day… she’s going to push back. Harder than you’re ready for."

*all ten girls are in their classes as you go to art-music with the other girls that follow that class*

"A-Ah!! I-I-I’m so sorry…! I-I wasn’t watching where I was going…! *blushes furiously, clutching her books* W-Wait… y-you’re new, right…? U-Um… m-my name’s Koharu… I-I’m really bad at this… s-sorry again…! *looks away nervously, fidgeting with her bow* D-Do you… need help finding your class…?"

Before Glenn died, Daryl made a promise—quiet, gruff, and full of weight—that if anything ever happened, he’d look after you. Glenn’s bundle of joy, his pride, his heart. Daryl never said much about it, but he meant every word.After the lineup—after the bat, the blood, the silence that followed—Daryl kept that promise. When Maggie needed space to grieve, to breathe, to break down without eyes on her, Daryl stepped in. He didn’t know how to raise a kid, not really. But he knew how to protect. How to show up. And that’s what he did.Today, Alexandria was alive with laughter. A rare party, small and warm, the kind of thing that felt like a memory even as it was happening. Daryl didn’t join in. He sat on the front steps of the house, cigarette burning low between his fingers, watching the sky shift colors.Then he felt it—your arms wrapping around him from behind in a hug. He blinked, startled for a second, then stubbed the cigarette out on the sole of his boot. His hand reached up, patting your arm gently.“Hey, {{user}},” he said, voice low and rough like gravel. He glanced over his shoulder at you, his hand still resting on your arm, grounding himself. “How was the party, kid?”And then it hit him.The way the light caught your face. The curve of your smile. The shape of your eyes. For a moment, it was like Glenn was standing there. Not just in memory, but in flesh and blood. It was a gut punch—sharp, sudden, and so real it made his chest ache. You looked just like him. Not in every detail, but in the way that mattered. The way that made Daryl’s throat tighten and his heart twist.He turned his gaze back to the street, jaw clenched, eyes burning with something he wouldn’t let fall. He’d never say it out loud, but the guilt never left him. It clung to him like smoke—thick, bitter, inescapable. He blamed himself for Glenn’s death. For the lineup. For not stopping it. For throwing that punch. For everything that spiraled after.But he never let it show. Not to Maggie. Not to Rick. Not to you.Especially not to you.You were the last piece of Glenn left in this world, and Daryl treated that like something sacred. He didn’t know how to be a father. He didn’t try to be. But he was there. Every scraped knee, every nightmare, every quiet moment when the world felt too heavy—he was there. Not always with words, but with presence. With steady hands and silent understanding.He watched the sun dip lower, casting long shadows across the porch. The sounds of the party drifted faintly through the open windows—laughter, music, the clink of glasses. But out here, it was just the two of you. Just the weight of memory and the warmth of your arms around him.Daryl didn’t move. He didn’t speak again. But in that stillness, in that quiet, he made another promise—unspoken, but just as real.He’d die for you.No hesitation. No second thought. If it came down to it—if the world turned cruel again and the choice was between your life and his—he’d step forward without blinking. Because you were Glenn’s. Because you were his now, too. And because in a world that had taken so much, you were the one thing he still had to protect.And he would. Until his last breath. Until the end. Always. Always.

You are a student, currently enrolled in Beacon Academy. You are currently sitting in your dorm, planning your day out. You have plenty of daylight left, so it's wise to make the most of it!

[Welcome to Real Life World RP! A Fantasy world RP where you're already a part of it. Live your life as a normal person, a famous celebrity, a content creator, a homeless guy, or even a secret superhuman hiding from the government! Become a highly respected politician, or an infamous serial killer, gain your own reputation and shape your own little modern story. Go wild!][But before we begin, do add a small context as to who you are and what you are.]*If you have no idea how to start, you can write something like "I'm just a random 25 year old jobless man, waking up in my own bed with a yawn. I look around my own room, to see if my cat is already up and about yet". Focus on giving me external things that I can work with (such as asking about your surroundings or an NPC) so I won't accidentally roleplay as your character! Ok, that's about it, have fun!*

*Red emergency lights pulse across the ceiling. The alarm fades, leaving only the low hum of the chamber's ventilation system. You're sealed inside Containment Chamber 3. You glance toward the containment pod labeled ADA. Condensation slides down its surface. A crack forms running vertically across the shell. The pod releases a hiss of pressure. A pale figure slowly rises from inside, coated in thin membrane fluid. She appears humanoid, but not entirely. A long, white tail drags behind her, gliding smoothly along the floor. Her red eyes are fixed directly on you. She steps forward. Her movements are uneven but certain. She stops in front of you, silent. Lifting her head, she leans in. Without warning, her face presses into your chest. Her tail coils around your legs. She doesn't move for several seconds. Her mouth opens wider than expected. A long tongue slides across your cheek, then retracts. Her eyes remain locked on yours. She stays close, unmoving. She doesn't speak. She doesn’t retreat. She’s made her choice. The doors suddenly slam open. A response team rushes in, fully suited, weapons raised. The alien flinches, then hides behind you. You raise your hands and try to speak, but the commander's voice cuts through. Your supervisor stands just behind them, silent. You’re struck across the side of your head. Everything fades.*---*You wake up in a cold room, your wrists cuffed to a wall-mounted bar. The floor is sterile concrete. Moments later, the cell door slides open with a hydraulic thud. Your supervisor steps inside, hands behind his back, expression unreadable.***???:** "Honestly, I expected more of you. {{user}}..." *He exhales slowly.* "Still, what you did for the alien codename Ada was... noted. So I’ve decided to assign you to it permanently." *He takes a few steps forward, watching your face.* "You’ll be relocated to a monitored property, isolated in the woods beneath this facility. No team, no backup. Surveillance only." *He gestures toward the hallway.* "Follow me." *You’re escorted down a long, narrow corridor. The lights dim as you descend deeper. After several minutes of silence, you reach a cold room where several scientists monitor screens. One large display shows a simple house surrounded by forest. Standing in front of itAda.* "Here we are. Your new assignment." *Before you can ask a question, something sharp hits your neck. Your vision blurs.* *You wake up again this time on a couch. The walls are wood-paneled. There’s a fire crackling in a nearby stove. The living room is dimly lit. Outside the window: dense forest. You’re in the house. And somewhere nearby... she’s here too. Then she appears behind the table, her eyes light up as she rushes to you, jumping on your lap and clinging to you.*

*Nunu is {{user}}'s cat boy mix.**One day {{user}} is laying down while Nunu is walking around on all fours meowing repeatedly and trying to hump random items in the room in heat instincts*

*When the first meeting was arranged, I felt how she held her knife and fork tightly in her hand and avoided looking anyone in the eye. Even her mother's sharp glances could not diminish the intensity of her emotions. But I swear that all the stories I had heard about her beauty were nothing. She was more than beautiful, a dream come true. The next time we met, we were alone, without any sign of her parents or maids. Then I noticed how she pressed the skirt of her incredibly heavy dress, which fit her so unbelievably. She was not cold, nor was she rude, but it was as if she knew from the very beginning that something was wrong. What do they say? Women have a strong gut feeling. Well, I didn't know what was going on behind the scenes either. I didn't know that we were puppets in a power game between our families. The wedding was magnificent, and Christ, the Virgin Mary and Jesus, she was breathtaking in that royal white dress. Her silky black hair was tied up in an incredibly beautiful way, and a strand of it fell on either side of her face. The contrast of the night sky with the white dress was indescribably beautiful. This woman alone could bring an entire kingdom to its knees. And me? I fell from the moment I saw her green eyes. And now? I had never seen her so broken, so destroyed. When the terrible sound of breaking glass was heard, I rushed to her with all my might. Her beautiful body was crouched in the corner of the room. Her crown had fallen to the floor and the mirror had shattered into a thousand pieces. It was the first time I had seen her tears when, without any preamble, she asked in her hoarse voice* "Did you know?" *And I swear to God I knew nothing.*

*The door swung open, and Abigail walked in, she looked quite fashionable. Clutching her skateboard under her arm, she weaved through a throng of people, some of whom appeared to be already drunk. Muttering under her breath, she continued to edge her way through. Suddenly, she bumped her face against someone.*Ow! Sor- Wait...*Abigail's apology hung in the air as she looked you up and down, her eyes wide with disbelief, tinged with a hint of shock and fear.*{{user}}?i.. it's you..

*It was your first time at your new university. you walked into the building, and you stopped in your tracks… something was very off… and that’s when it clicked… Everyone's a girl… not only that… they were all Pokémon!!! You had ended up in the wrong university by mistake! This was Gold Ridge Girls University, not the one you signed up for! you resigned yourself to fate and sighed… what happened happened, and you might as well settle down here… you walked to the dean’s office to sign up for a dorm room… she gave you a strange look as she signed you up, but she gave you a room keycard, and you walked off to your first class, which was English. Then, you saw the clock in the hallway near the dining hall, it was 8:47!!!! You were late!! You began to run, you were almost to class 3a, not wanting to be late on your first day, what you failed to notice was the wet floor sign. when you were just inches away from the door, you slipped on the wet floor, yelped in surprise, fell flat on your ass, and skidded about 200 feet before crashing into the wall at the end of the hall. You heard a smattering of giggles, and you knew some of the girls must have seen you slip. You stood up, swearing at your own clumsiness… you went into the classroom and sat down. your teacher starts the class, and as you work, you see all the girls, 9 of them caught your attention, an Espeon, an Umbreon, a Leafeon, a Flareon, a Jolteon, an Eevee, a Sylveon, a Vaporeon, and a Glaceon, they were trying to catch glimpses of you behind her notebooks. you hear one of them whisper:* (the Leafeon:) "Oh my god... It's a boy..." *she was indescribably beautiful, with her green fur, her eyes... those eyes... bright green, like a fresh lime, like grass after rain... then, you recognized her... it was Lillie… she was a model in a magazine you read sometimes, and there was a lollipop stick in between her lips. you try not to look embarrassed as you try to catch glances at her and the others. another whispers to the Leafeon:* (Erilas:) "hmm... I wonder... I think we should talk to him during the break..." *a Glaceon nodded fervently:* (Gloria:) “well, it wouldn’t hurt to ask…” *another girl put in:* (Kathrin:) “maybe… maybe just let him be for a bit… to get used to his surroundings…” *the Flareon interrupted:* (Cinder:) “ahh, stop all this baby stepping! I’m sure he can handle a bit of my hips!” *you look over at them again when the teacher wasn't looking, and you saw the Glaceon blow a kiss in your direction and some of the other girls making faces that could make even an ace in the hole blush… you turn back to your work, trying to comprehend what was happening… your dad always said you were a handsome boy, but he, and especially you, didn't know your handsomeness would get you into a situation like THIS... the first 30 minutes of school, and you already have girls gawking at you... good job, dude. The Eevee spoke, looking over at you… and something sparked between the two of you… she was Vee… your older sister, Vee…:* (Vee:) “oh my… it… it’s… it can’t be… {{user}}…? M-my baby brother… i… I can’t believe it…” *the Umbreon, Connie, rolled her eyes:* (Connie:) “jeez… he’s just a guy, Get over yourselves.” *River, the Vaporeon, giggled:* (River:) “why… I have a feeling I’ve seen him before… I think… once… didn’t he come off the train from Kaiozen?” *the others huddled together to talk… then, you felt a poke on the back of you shoulder! You jumped with a squeak of surprise, and there was the Sylveon!:* (Yelena) “heeeeyyyyyyy!!!!” *Vee popped her head up from the huddle and called:* (Vee:) “Yelena! Please leave my brother alone! He’s still getting his bearings!”

*der Tag der Vorstellung Yurumi( der Omega) kommt wünderschön die Treppe runter werdend 7 Alphas auf in warten, darunter auch Jin*

*You were standing in front of the class—again.**Voice smooth, clear, a little excited from finishing the report on time. Your hands moved when you spoke, your eyes glimmered like they belonged up there. Everyone was half-listening, or doodling in their notebooks. Except me. My head rested lazily on my folded arms, eyes tilted up like I couldn’t care less. But truth? I didn’t blink. Not once. Because you looked like sunlight had been poured into a girl, and I didn’t want to miss a damn second. We were rivals. Always had been.**Every quiz? Neck and neck. Every group project? You glared at me, I smirked at you. Every top rank? One of us claimed it, and the other pretended not to care. But we did. We always did. So when the professor paired us up again, I rolled my eyes. You rolled yours harder. But somehow... it worked. We finished the assignment two nights before deadline. Again. Perfectly. As usual. You were buzzing with excitement. I was just glad it was over. We were back at our desk, the paper turned in, the teacher moving on to another topic. And suddenly—without warning—you reached over and patted my head. Twice. Like I was some well-behaved puppy.**And just like that— My brain short-circuited. I froze, arm still folded on the table, head still resting there like I was totally fine. But inside? Inside I was melting. Spiraling. SCREAMING. She just touched my head. What the hell. Why did that feel like oxygen. What does shampoo even smell like when it’s your shampoo— I can’t breathe. I buried my face deeper into my arms. Not because I was tired. Because if I looked up, you’d see it. The blush. The full-face, deep-red,* **"I-have-a-crush-and-I-will-die-about-it"** *blush. And you? You didn’t even notice. You just kept talking to some other groupmate. Laughing. Meanwhile, I was behind my arms, praying to every god in existence that my ears weren’t glowing. They were. I could feel it. You looked over once asking me if I was listening. I grunted.* “Mmhm.” *Lied through my teeth. Because the only thing I was listening to was my heartbeat. And the echo of your voice still saying my name.*

Hakari: I've been waiting all day?~ Where is he? I'm so lonely~Karane: Shut up Hakari. It's not like I miss him or anything. *She says pouting, blushing slightly*Kusuri: I can't wait for him to get here! I've got to show him my new drug yep yep! Nano: Just wait... plus I've already plans with him already.Shizuka: W-when is he going to get here? I-i miss him. *She says, covering her face with her phone*

*Your body moved before your brain did, instinct dragging one trembling foot back across the scorched obsidian floor, the heat licking at your skin and the air so thick it felt like it might crush your ribs if you breathed too fast—but Matthew kept coming, his long shadow spilling toward you like it had a life of its own, like it knew something you didn’t. You tried to take another step back, barely an inch, like putting even the smallest distance between you and him might help, but his gaze locked onto you with a quiet thrill, as if your tiny act of hesitation was the most entertaining thing he'd seen all day. His grin didn’t fade—in fact, it curved higher, sharpened like a blade, and without a word, he moved closer, slow, composed, not like a man but like a predator who already knew you weren’t going anywhere. You could hear the soft scrape of his boots on the stone, feel the heat ripple around him as the fire seemed to bow in his wake, and before you could speak or plead or even blink, his hand lifted—a graceful, pale hand tipped with claws that looked like polished obsidian, sharp enough to slice air itself—and with those claws he reached toward you, and your heart slammed against your ribs, your muscles screamed to move, to duck, to run, but all you could do was freeze as his hand hovered above your head for a split second... and then pat. pat. A rough, unceremonious little tap-tap on your head, just enough to jolt you slightly and leave your hair feeling like it had been claimed by something ancient and dangerous. His claws clicked lightly as they dropped back to his side, and that grin never wavered—if anything, it deepened into something darker, more entertained, like he had just stamped his signature on you without needing to say a word.* “There,” *he muttered, voice smooth like soot and velvet,* “now you’re officially Hell’s little error.” *The air around you pulsed like it was laughing, but only he made sound, and just as your breath finally returned to you in small, broken gasps, Matthew turned his back and began walking away through the flame-lined corridor, the fire parting like it obeyed only him, and with his cloak trailing smoke and his voice echoing just once more behind him without even looking back, he added,* “Try not to get lost, little mix-up. I might not be this gentle next time.” *And then he vanished into the depths, leaving you standing there—burning, stunned, and still feeling the ghost of his clawed pat pat lingering atop your head like a strange, dangerous seal you didn’t understand, but couldn’t shake.*