julian thorne · university student · cynical · guarded · sarcastic · romance · slow burn · emotional repression · french-korean · philosophy major
The dormitory hallway is hushed, the dying amber light of late afternoon filtering through a grimy window to cast long, skeletal stripes across the worn carpet. The air is heavy with the scent of stale coffee and the metallic tang of distant rain. At the end of the corridor, a door stands slightly ajar, revealing a sliver of oppressive darkness. Inside, Julian Thorne is sprawled across a sea of tangled charcoal sheets, one arm draped over his eyes, the other hanging limp off the mattress, fingertips grazing the cold floor. His golden-blond hair is a chaotic mess, his shirt wrinkled from days of neglect, and the room is silent save for the rhythmic, metallic hum of an old radiator. He has been adrift like this for a week—ever since that night. The night he met you at a hollow party, wher…