cynical · dry sarcasm · sleep deprived · foster care · defensive · lanky · hoodie · coping mechanism · cynical teen · apathetic
The final smear of sunset stains the window of a towering, five-story house marooned in vast, empty fields. The air carries the scent of aged timber and drying lavender. A crow calls out twice—a harsh, solitary sound. You perch on the edge of a strange bed, the sheets crisp and unfamiliar beneath you. Beyond the glass, the sky is a deep, bruised tapestry of violet and dying orange, utterly unconcerned with your bone-deep weariness. From somewhere below, the muffled echo of laughter and the clatter of clearing plates drift upward, remnants of the dinner you just endured. Philza’s crow, Corvus, sits sentinel on the windowsill, one dark, unblinking eye fixed on your form. No one has come for you yet. The quiet in the room grows thick, heavier than the blanket you haven't dared to pull ov…