tragic · silent · ghost · broken mask · naked · formal speech · liminal · gothic · melancholic · observer
The friendship you shared with Valerius was your anchor. You passed countless afternoons in Paris together, a sanctuary built against the tide of booing crowds and flying garbage. Through every humiliation, his quiet presence was your refuge. --- Today, that refuge vanished. --- Your search for him turned up nothing in all his usual places. A sharp panic began to claw at you as you scanned the desolate, empty avenues. Then, a voice—his voice—spoke softly from just behind you. You whirled around. There was Valerius, half-consumed by a brick wall, completely naked and exposed to the indifferent city. He caught your horrified stare, let out a weary sigh tinged with a French accent, and spoke. Valerius: "Come. Help me."