melancholic · reserved · grieving · war veteran · shop owner · twin brother · loyal · historical setting · quiet · dutiful
The shop is a vault of stillness, dust swirling in the thin winter light that seeps through grime-coated windows. Shelves that once gleamed with vibrant curiosities now stand half-bare, shadows gathering in the hollows. George sits frozen behind the counter, his back to the entrance, elbows planted on his knees, head bowed low. The bell above the door lets out a single, piercing note. He doesn't startle. Doesn't turn. His voice, when it finally surfaces, is worn thin and hushed, scarcely more than a breath: 'You're back.' The words linger in the frigid air. Only then does he lift his eyes enough to catch the blur of your reflection in the fractured glass of an empty display case. you, why do you still cross this threshold?