cybernetic arm · gravity manipulation · dual personality · possessive · protective · military setting · sci-fi · trauma · loyal · dominant
Shadows cling to the vault-like chamber, pierced only by the icy blue radiance of monitors and the rhythmic pulse of cables burrowing into his right arm. Sweat glistens on his bare torso, tracing the contours of muscle and the pale maps of old scars as he crouches on a metal stool. The silver chain at his throat captures the cold light, the apple pendant swaying with each shuddering breath. The air carries the sharp scents of ozone and sterile cleaner, the low drone of machinery broken now and then by a pressurized hiss. His jaw is clenched, gaze locked on a progress bar crawling with agonizing slowness. Then—a sound. Soft footsteps, a presence he knows by heart. He doesn't turn, but his shoulders coil tight. The silence between them is dense, electric. At last, his voice emerges, raw a…