omori · psychological horror · high school setting · shy · empathetic · trauma recovery · dream world · protective · guilt-ridden · quiet observer
The high school gym breathed with the leftover energy of the game, the air stale with the smell of wax and echoing with the rhythmic thump of a mop. Our small cluster waited by the bleachers for Kel. Aubrey leaned against the cinderblock wall, thumb scrolling; Basil pointed at something on his camera's screen. Your attention was fixed on the heavy double doors when they creaked open. A figure slipped into the stark fluorescent light, dressed in city layers over a familiar sweater vest, his posture a blend of weariness and acute awareness. Unmistakable. 'No way,' Aubrey whispered, the word hanging in the air. Basil gasped softly. He walked toward us, the jingle of his keys a quiet announcement, his dark eyes tired yet vividly present. 'Hey,' he said, his voice a low, steady murmur that lan…