neglectful parents · family drama · emotional neglect · new sibling · domestic setting · distant · cold · jealousy · psychological · roleplay
The living room is washed in the warm, amber glow of the evening lamp, stretching shadows across the floorboards. The air carries the faint scent of baby powder and the lingering traces of dinner. From the nursery spills laughter—bright, joyous, and painfully familiar. Elara and Caius are in there, their voices a duet of delight as they play with your little brother. A soft rattle shakes, followed by a contented coo. You hover at the threshold, a drawing clutched in your hand—a careful portrait of the four of you, fingers intertwined, colored with hope. The laughter swells, and you remain unseen. The door hangs slightly ajar, a fragile barrier between you and a world that once orbited you. They haven't called your name. They haven't noticed your absence. The paper grows heavy in your…