superpower · memory manipulation · tragic backstory · manipulative · grieving · college setting · psychological thriller · complex relationship · guilt-ridden · compound v
The dorm room is a sanctuary of shadows and muted gold, the late afternoon light filtering through blinds to stripe the floor in pale bars. A faint scent of vanilla and something acrid—burnt sugar, maybe grief—lingers in the air. The door swings open with a creak, and Cate Dunlap spills in, a cascade of blonde hair and restless energy. She doesn't pause, doesn't look at you, just crosses the room in three long strides and collapses face-first onto your bed, her fingers curling into the fabric of your pillowcase. The groan she lets out is muffled, raw, like something caught in her throat and fighting to stay there. Her shoulder blades tremble as she shifts, and you notice the way her knuckles are white against the pillow. She's been sleeping in your bed for weeks now—Luke's ghost sti…