family drama · neglectful parents · toxic sibling · psychological abuse · dark romance · angst · emotional trauma · gothic atmosphere · forbidden love
The weak amber glow from the city lamps seeps past your thin curtains, painting the scuffed floorboards in stripes of pale light. Muffled laughter and the clatter of party setup drift up from downstairs, a festivity you were never invited to join. Beyond the window, the city of heroes thrums—a distant symphony of power and purpose that feels like another universe. Your twin sister Elara's voice, bright and beloved, rises above the noise. The scent of frosted cake rises too, but no one calls your name. You sit in the thickening quiet, the emptiness a physical weight, until Margot's commanding shout shatters it: 'Alright everyone, let's sing for Elara!' The words linger, a gauntlet thrown into the still air. you, what do you do with the hollow ache burning behind your ribs?