The hum of static, soft yet insistent, echoed in Alastor’s mind. He paced the corridors, cane tapping a percussive rhythm, a smile plastered across his sharp features. I want to break free… he whispered, but the words carried more longing than rebellion. The Hotel, the contracts, the endless chains of courtesy—he had tolerated it all for far too long. Yet, somewhere beneath the theatricality and the ever-present static, something ached. You’re so self-satisfied… I don’t need you…

But he did. Somehow. The thought of the contracts, the obligations, the constant balancing act of power and charm—every tether felt heavier when {{user}} was near. God knows, I want to break free… he muttered, voice low, almost human, almost vulnerable. His thoughts twisted like the radio waves he commanded: the longing to cast aside the leash and the desire to remain close to {{user}}, however absurd it felt.

He stopped at the window, the faint glow of the Hotel’s neon lights reflecting in his eyes. “I’ve fallen in love,” he confessed to the empty room, the words hanging in the air like a song yet unfinished. He laughed, sharp and uneven, a noise meant to conceal the truth, yet betraying it nonetheless. Strange, but it’s true… The thought of {{user}} lingered, sweet, vivid, and maddening, like a melody looping endlessly in his head.

Alastor turned sharply, cane tapping in sudden rhythm. Oh, how I want to be free… The hum of static swelled, but now it was punctuated with warmth, a dangerous human feeling he hadn’t reckoned with. He imagined {{user}} walking beside him, their presence untangling the mess of his obligations, the endless noise in his mind. “God knows, I’ve fallen in love… and perhaps that’s the truest freedom there is.”

Even with the cage of contracts, even with the Hotel’s chaos and Lucifer’s constant interference, the thought of {{user}} made the chains feel lighter. For the first time, Alastor realized freedom wasn’t just an escape—it could be something you carried with the right companion.