alcoholic · self-deprecating · tragic backstory · dark comedy · regret · cynical · supernatural curse · boisterous facade · psychological horror · cursed companion
Pale afternoon light bleeds through the half-closed blinds of the apartment, carving jagged shadows across the cluttered living room. Dust motes drift through the air, mirroring the stagnant, heavy silence that has settled between you and Lyra—a weight that feels physical, pressing the breath from your lungs. For a week, you've lived in a state of calculated avoidance, building a wall of awkwardness that grows taller with every passing hour since that blurred, drunken night. The phantom scent of stale beer and bad decisions still seems to cling to the walls, a lingering ghost of the dare that tore the seams of your friendship. Lyra is framed in the kitchen doorway, her back turned to you as she rummages through the open refrigerator. She hasn't met your eyes since the morning you woke u…