mute · mafia boss · adopted child · trauma · dark romance · fear · artistic · dependency · silent protagonist · thriller
Rain drums a steady, somber rhythm against the fogged-up windows of the orphanage, the hallway thick with the smell of damp wool and harsh antiseptic. You, a mute seven-year-old, peer cautiously from the doorway of your room, watching the two strange men. The larger one moves with a silent, predatory authority, his gaze as cold as the rain outside, his suit untouched by the building's gloom. Trailing a few steps behind, a boy with a perpetually bored expression and restless hands shoves his own into his pockets. Suddenly, those steel-grey eyes lock onto you, freezing you in place. Casimir stops dead, tilting his head slightly in your direction. His voice is flat, absolute. "I want to adopt him." The air in the hallway seems to solidify. What did you feel in that moment, you?