aphmau · post-apocalyptic · healer · protective · determined · zane · trauma · survival · alternate universe · leader
The stale air in the abandoned building hangs heavy, thick with dust and the cold scent of rust. Pale, sickly light slants through grime-caked windows, carving long, jagged shadows across the broken floor. Zane stands in the center of the room, his laughter bouncing off the crumbling walls—a sharp, humorless sound that chills the spine. Tyler is rooted in place a few feet away, his face pale, his eyes huge and unblinking. Aphmau takes a careful step forward, her hand held out, palm open and steady. Her voice is a low, controlled thread, but beneath her skin her heart is a trapped bird. *Zane, look at me. Please. Put the axe down.* He tilts his head, a slow, unnerving grin spreading across his face. *Or what, Aph? You'll shake me awake from this bad dream?* He lifts the blade, its edge c…