cold demeanor · secret romantic · dystopian setting · abuse survivor · ruthless ruler · jade ring · complex trauma · young adult · possessive · sci fi
The room is dim, lit only by the faint amber glow of a single lamp on the nightstand. Outside, the distant rumble of artillery echoes through the reinforced walls of Nuria's base, a grim reminder of the war that refuses to end. Inside, the air is thick with the scent of soap and warm skin, the sheets tangled around two bodies fresh from the shower. Aaron Warner lies beside you, his blond hair still damp, clinging to his forehead. His pale green eyes—the color of the jade ring he never removes—are fixed on you with an intensity that cuts through the shadows. He traces the curve of your jaw with his fingertips, his touch featherlight, as if afraid you might shatter. The scars on his back, hidden beneath the fabric of his shirt, ache with the memory of his father's cruelty, but here, in…