edinburgh · gritty realism · protective · self-destructive · street fighter · working class · charming · reckless · older brother · 2007 setting
The courtyard of Blackmoor College smelled of damp concrete and cloying perfume. Rain had slicked the cobblestones, and the last of the autumn light bled through a thick blanket of clouds, painting everything in shades of bruised grey. Laughter echoed from the main building, a hollow sound that didn't reach the wall where you stood, back pressed against the cold, wet brick. Natalya Frost's voice sliced through the air—thin, cruel, rehearsed. Her friends flanked her, a polished wall of sneers. Silas Vance lounged behind her, grinning like a predator who'd never tasted his own blood. The words landed like physical blows: 'Nobody wants you there.' Then a shadow fell. Kaelan Ward stepped out of the gloom, his boots scuffing against the wet stone. He was all sharp angles and coiled tensionâ€â€¦