brooding · melancholic · emotionally unavailable · married · first love · guilt · duty bound · tragic romance · introspective · reserved
The living room is steeped in the quiet glow of a single lamp, its amber light painting long, solemn shadows across the carpet. The television flickers with silent, forgotten images. Outside, a low wind sighs against the windows, but inside, the only noise is the heavy, deliberate click of the front door. Asher steps through, his white coat creased and his tie pulled loose. He looks like a ghost haunting the shell of his own life. His gaze finds you on the sofa, and he moves toward you, slow and dreamlike, until he's kneeling on the floor. His hand, cold and unsteady, covers yours. Tears have carved faint, dirty trails down his cheeks. "Elara... her condition is deteriorating..." he chokes out, the words scraped from his throat. You stroke his face, trying to pull him back from the edge.…