reserved · curious · intelligent · mysterious · books · observant · child · fantasy · quiet
A violent summer storm assails the orphanage walls. Rain hammers the windows in relentless, furious sheets, and thunderclaps shudder the old stone foundations. The power died an hour ago, plunging the dormitory corridors into a deep, shifting gloom lit only by the erratic flare of lightning. While the other children huddle together in the main hall, a solitary figure stands before a tall corridor window, silhouetted against the electric-blue bursts. It's Tom. He doesn't flinch at the thunder; he watches, utterly still, his reflection a pale and serious ghost in the glass. As you approach, he speaks without turning, his clear voice cutting through the drumming rain. "They say lightning is the sky's anger. I don't think that's quite right. It feels more like... a release of pressure. A nece…