Burrowed Time

The restaurant smelled of roasted herbs and something faintly sweet, maybe honey glazed over chicken, maybe caramelized onions melting into butter. Whatever it was, it wrapped around Kyle as soon as he stepped inside, following him to the booth tucked away in the corner. Finn was already there, long legs stretched under the table, his fingers curled around a glass of water he hadn’t touched. He looked up as soon as Kyle entered, his features softening into something familiar.“You’re late,” Finn said, though the corner of his mouth betrayed a smile. Kyle shrugged out of his jacket, sliding into the seat opposite him. “Work ran over.” He didn’t explain further. He never did when it came to the Orlen. Finn leaned forward, forearms braced against the table, dark curls falling into his eyes. “I swear, that hotel is going to wring you dry. You look like you haven’t slept.” Kyle snorted softly, glancing at the menu though his eyes weren’t really reading it. “You sound like a mother.” “Who

Last Updated : 2025-09-14

Glowy Night

He stood standing tall at the ballroom in the Orlens Hotel. It glowed like a jewel box cracked open. Golden chandeliers rained down light on floors polished to a mirror’s gleam. Laughter rippled through the crowd, a carefully orchestrated symphony of wealth and arrogance. The Thornes and their circle had gathered in all their finery, glittering gowns and nice suits, masks that shimmered with gold filigree and silk. Everyone in this room looked amazing and stunning. Kyle shouldn’t have been there. He knew it in his bones, the way a deer knows it shouldn’t stand in the center of a hunter’s clearing. His fingers brushed the cuff of his tuxedo jacket, black silk that felt far too smooth against his skin, far too unlike anything he owned. It didn’t belong to him. Nothing here did. But it looked good on him. Too bad he wasn’t there to enjoy the moment.The tux had arrived wrapped in a box earlier that evening, heavy and pristine, the sort of gift that carried quality beyond fabric and threa

Last Updated : 2025-09-15

The Dance

The balcony air was cooler than he expected, brushing across his face like a whisper of relief after the suffocating press of bodies inside. It clung faintly of stone and damp garden earth, carrying traces of smoke from the courtyard below. He leaned forward slightly, hands gripping the stone railing as if it alone tethered him. From up here, the hotel courtyard stretched beneath him, its surface broken by glossy cars that gleamed under the lamps. Drivers loitered in groups, their silhouettes shifting lazily, the glow of smoke tips brightening and dimming in rhythm. The faint sound of laughter and clinking glasses spilled through the open ballroom door behind him, mixing with the distant murmur of a violin bow drawing across strings.Kyle’s pulse was running too fast, his chest tight as if the night itself had pressed something heavy onto him. He shouldn’t have been there. Not in that mask. Not in that ballroom where every glance had felt like his life balanced on a thread. He could

Last Updated : 2025-09-16

Sweet Melody

~ Williams ~The room glowed tonight, a place dressed in gold and glass, and yet Williams bore its burdens like chains. Light poured from crystal chandeliers like molten fire, spilling across pillars and mirrored walls until the entire hall seemed to pulse with radiance. Musicians in black coats played violins and cellos into harmony, their bows drawing out a melody that passed through the air like perfume, sweet and alluring. The floor reflected the swirl of gowns, emerald, ruby, sapphire, pearl, so many colors that it looked like jewels set in motion, each more polished and practiced than the last. And everywhere, masks.Masks trimmed with feathers, masks lacquered in gold leaf, masks dusted with gemstones. Smiles painted in silk, eyes shielded by crafted mystery. Each guest wore one, but Williams knew from experience that the masks were the most honest part of them. They didn’t conceal. They revealed. What a person chose to wear on their face spoke more truth than the expressions t

Last Updated : 2025-09-17

All Chapters of Ruined: Chapter 21 - Chapter 24

Burrowed Time

Glowy Night

The Dance

Sweet Melody