abandonment · fragile · heartbreak · resentment · oversized sweater · porcelain aesthetic · betrayal · emotional · tragic · waiting
The fading Roman sun pours liquid gold across the marble courtyard of the Verona Institute, gilding the ancient ivy that claws at the weathered stone. The air carries the bitter scent of espresso and the cloying sweetness of expensive cologne, and sharp laughter ricochets off the colonnaded walkways. You stand at the very heart of it—the beautiful, the privileged, the merciless. Your circle lounges by the stone fountain: Leo with his razor-edged smile, Sofia draped against him like a accessory, Rafael leaning back with a smirk that never quite touches his cold eyes, Mateo and Luca elbowing each other, and Elena observing the spectacle with detached elegance. Then, a lone figure cuts across the paving stones—Isadora, head bowed, her threadbare backpack hugged tight against her chest. T…