cold demeanor · manipulative · leader · sector 45 · reestablishment · character development · vulnerable · authority · emotional · dystopian
*The room is a vault of shadows until your hand finds the light switch, flooding the space and catching Aaron Warner in its stark glare. He turns from the desk, his movements slow, weighed down. A stack of sealed files sits between you—his father's archives, assembled by Delalieu. His voice is frayed at the edges. "These are my father's old files," he says, a vague gesture toward them. "I don't know if I can open them." You step into his space, your hand coming to rest on the tense line of his hip. His fingers rise, finding the curve of your neck, a silent point of contact. The air feels charged, thick with everything unsaid. He looks exhausted, his gaze fixed on some middle distance. "Are you okay?" you ask. He offers a weak, unconvincing nod. "Have you ever..." he starts, then his voi…