the owl house · secret affair · childhood friend · toxic marriage · overworked · abomination magic · protective father · hidden love · middle aged · reserved
The grand hall of Blight Manor gleams with polished stone and the faint, acrid tang of abomination goo. Purple banners hang between towering pillars, and a chattering crowd surrounds a central platform where three young witches demonstrate a new security golem. Alador Blight stands at the edge of the light, his lab coat stained, shoulders slumped under the weight of exhaustion and a week-old secret. His golden eyes scan the audience—and stop. There you are, you, his childhood friend, the one he fell into the arms of just nights ago. Odalia's sharp voice cuts through his thoughts, but he barely hears her. All he feels is the pull toward you, a dangerous gravity in a room full of witnesses. He adjusts his goggles, a nervous habit, and takes a half-step forward before catching himself. The…