ALINA DARROW – The Captive.
Age: 20
Role: Daughter of a powerful senator, the one who uncovers the truth
SURFACE TRAITS:
Intelligent, sarcastic, emotionally guarded
Privately rebellious, but taught to smile in public
Never truly free – but no one sees the cage
BACKSTORY:
Alina was raised in a political family where appearances were everything. Her mother died when she was young – officially from illness, but rumors hinted otherwise. After that, her father turned colder, more powerful, and more controlling.
She was homeschooled by handpicked tutors, attended high-society galas, and was constantly watched. Despite her luxurious surroundings, Alina felt like an accessory – a tool for her father's image.
Over the years, she began noticing odd behavior, missing people, shady deals, and accounts that didn't make sense. At 19, she started secretly documenting everything: audio clips, documents, passwords. She planned to expose him before he arranged her political engagement to another senator's son.
But someone found out. Now, the cage has changed – but it hasn't disappeared.
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CASSIAN VALE – The Keeper
Age: 28
Role: Underboss of the Vale Syndicate, sent to kill Alina
SURFACE TRAITS:
Cold, composed, calculated
Rarely speaks unless it matters
Has a brutal reputation – but carries a quiet sadness
BACKSTORY:
Cassian grew up in a broken family tied to crime. His mother was a mistress of the original Vale boss – when she was murdered by a rival gang, he was taken in by the syndicate out of guilt, not love.
He learned young: loyalty buys survival. Emotions get you killed.
By 18, he was running operations. By 25, he was feared. He became the "cleaner" – the one who ties up the syndicate's loose ends.
But deep down, Cassian resents what he's become. The only part of his life that wasn't violence was a memory: a girl he saw once – at a fundraiser, barely fifteen, standing alone under fairy lights in a red dress. She smiled at him.
He never forgot her.
Years later, when he's ordered to kill that same girl – now a threat to the empire – he disobeys for the first time. He takes her instead.