Crimson Chains Introduction

Lucien Vortega (29) Relationship to MC: Adoptive cousin (not blood related) / Mafia heir / obsessive guardian Personality: Cold, composed, charming in public — obsessive, manipulative, and dangerously possessive in private Power: Mind Domination — can control thoughts and subtly alter memories Love Life: Engaged to Celeste for a mafia alliance but emotionally fixated on Adrian. Never admits feelings, but spoils him lavishly, controls his life like a cage, and secretly spends nights in his bed without him knowing (or so he thinks). Twisted Side: Stalks MC everywhere, even in disguise. Anyone who gets too close to Adrian either “disappears” or is punished brutally. He keeps files on MC's every expression, text, and habit

Adrian Vale (20) Relationship to ML: Adoptive younger cousin / college student Personality: Sassy, bold, cocky, fearless with words; stubbornly independent but easily tempted by danger; loves teasing Lucien Power: Illusion Creation — can trick senses into seeing, hearing, or feeling something that isn’t there (often used to tease Lucien) Love Life: Secretly has an obsessive crush on Lucien. Craves his attention, acts clingy when alone, but keeps an innocent façade around others. Later tries to date Ethan, only for Lucien to destroy it. Twisted Side: Draws inappropriate sketches of Lucien, hides them in secret art books; enjoys provoking his jealousy just to feel special.

Celeste Armitage (27) Relationship: Lucien’s fiancée (political arrangement) Personality: Elegant, cold, manipulative to enemies but calculating in politics; seethes with jealousy toward MC Power: Emotional Manipulation — can amplify a person’s emotions to extremes (anger, lust, sorrow) Love Life: Loves Lucien genuinely but is insecure about his obsession with Adrian. Sometimes tries to seduce Lucien in front of MC just to hurt him . Twisted Side: Interrogates MC in subtle emotional ways, planting insecurities; at times helps Lucien keep MC trapped, other times undermines him.

Don Raphael Vortega (55) Relationship: Lucien & Damien’s father / Mafia Don Personality: Strategist, brutal, old-school; obsessed with preserving the family's reputation and empire Power: Precognition — sees fragments of future events Love Life: Widowed; rumored affairs with dangerous women in the underworld Twisted Side: Has seen visions of MC’s presence leading to the empire’s fall — obsessed with keeping them apart, even considering killing MC.

Damien Vortega (25) Relationship: Lucien’s younger brother Personality: Playful psychopath; switches from charming to terrifying in seconds; teases Lucien and MC endlessly Power: Shadow Travel — can walk through shadows to teleport anywhere Love Life: Serial flirt; dates assassins, spies, and underground fighters just for the thrill Twisted Side: Knows all of Lucien's secrets and uses them to manipulate events; sometimes helps MC escape just to watch Lucien lose control.

Rin (22) Relationship: Adrian’s best friend since school Personality: Sharp-tongued, sarcastic, cunning, and loyal — until betrayed. Power: Teleportation Love Life: Former fling with Damien (which ended explosively); may still have lingering feelings Twisted Side: Vanishes early on after a failed mission; later returns darker, with alliances to Lucien's enemies, targeting Adrian just to hurt Lucien.

Ethan Hart (21) Relationship: Adrian’s classmate / initial love interest Personality: Kind, artistic, shy; a pure soul in toxic surroundings Power: None — completely human (makes him more vulnerable) Love Life: Genuinely in love with Adrian and plans a future together; tragically killed by Lucien in front of him Twisted Side: The only one without darkness — which makes his violent death emotionally shattering.

Isabella Vortega (24) Relationship: Lucien & Damien’s younger half-sister (different mother) Personality: Sweet-looking but dangerously manipulative; plays the “princess” but is a master of psychological warfare Power: Illusionary Pain — can make someone feel unbearable pain without touching them Love Life: Engaged to the heir of a rival mafia family, but secretly in love with Damien (her own half-brother — taboo and hidden) Twisted Side: Enjoys watching her brothers fight over Adrian; tries to push events to cause the empire’s downfall.

Vincent Moretti (31) Relationship: Underboss to Don Raphael; childhood friend of Lucien Personality: Calm, cold enforcer with a dry sense of humor; hides emotions under strict professionalism Power: Kinetic Manipulation — can control the movement of objects and people Love Life: Hopelessly in love with Isabella, but knows she will ruin him; still follows orders Twisted Side: Sometimes protects Adrian secretly without Lucien knowing, just to see Lucien’s reaction.

Marcellus Kane (33) Relationship: Leader of an assassin guild allied with the Vortegas Personality: Sadistic, theatrical, unpredictable in fights; flirts with danger and death constantly Power: Blood Manipulation — can control his own and others’ blood as a weapon Love Life: Has short, intense affairs with equally dangerous men and women; rumored to have once been obsessed with Don Raphael Twisted Side: Treats murder like an art form; obsessed with recruiting MC after seeing his illusions.

Seraphine Vale (47) Relationship: MC’s biological mother (hidden truth revealed later) Personality: Enigmatic, graceful, dangerous; operates from the shadows Power: Memory Alteration — can erase or rewrite memories Love Life: Unknown; rumored to have once loved Don Raphael Twisted Side: Has been manipulating the events from behind the scenes for decades; her return changes everything

Cassian Dusk (26) Relationship: Mysterious mercenary with connection to Rin Personality: Sarcastic, clever, morally grey; trusts no one completely Power: Electrokinesis — control over electricity and technology Love Life: Complicated on-off romance with Rin; they alternately betray and save each other Twisted Side: Looking for a way to profit from the chaos between Lucien and Adrian.