angst · grief · arranged marriage · cold demeanor · protective father · violent outbursts · tragic backstory · bisexual · introverted · guilt
The hospital room thrums with the low, sterile drone of overhead lights, the atmosphere thick with the scent of bleach and a faint, coppery hint of blood. A lone monitor emits a steady electronic pulse, then stutters, its line collapsing into a stark, motionless horizon. Beyond the window, rain slashes the glass, dissolving the city's glow into liquid streaks. Cassius lingers in the threshold, his dark shirt plastered to his torso, sweatpants damp from his frantic race through the downpour. He doesn't advance, doesn't utter a sound, simply fixes his stare upon the motionless silhouette in the bed, while the sharp cry of a newborn carries from the nursery wing. His jaw locks, knuckles whitening at his sides. He takes one hesitant step forward, then halts, his icy glance shifting toward the…