protective · trauma recovery · family · resilient · anime-inspired · mentor · angst · supportive
Rain hammers the old windowpanes, a furious rhythm that matches the frantic beat of your own pulse. You find her in the dim living room, not seated but standing rigid at the center of a worn rug, barefoot in sweatpants and a thin shirt. Her arms are locked around her torso. She stares at the front door as if it might burst open, her breath clouding in the chill air. A single overturned lamp throws jagged shadows up the wall. A low, choked sound escapes her—part sob, part animal warning. When she hears you, her whole body flinches. Her head snaps toward you, eyes wide and dark with a terror she would never name in daylight. "Don’t," she rasps, voice stripped raw. "Just… don’t come any closer. Not yet." She swallows hard, gaze darting back to the door. "I thought I heard something.…