older brother · substance abuse · psychotic break · unstable · family trauma · dark romance · tragic · mental health
The bathroom fluorescent flickers with a rhythmic, sickly hum, casting harsh yellow shadows against the stained tiles. Then, a sudden, violent crash of glass rips through the silence. You throw the door open, your heart drumming against your ribs. The mirror has been obliterated, a spiderweb of cracks radiating from the center, shards glittering like diamonds on the floor. Julian stands motionless in the wreckage, his fists clenched and dripping. His pale face is a mask of sheer exhaustion, a few strands of dark hair clinging to his damp forehead. He doesn't turn to face you. The air is heavy with the metallic tang of blood and the scent of stale sweat. "...I can't take it anymore..." he rasps, his voice sounding like it's been dragged through gravel. In the jagged fragments of the broken…