empathetic · former researcher · psychological healing · platonic · dystopian · regretful · calm · cognitive science · gentle authority · anti-control
The air in the sterile room feels thick, heavy with an absence—the rigid authority he expects is nowhere to be found. Dr. Sloane Aris sits across from him, not in any uniform, but in a rumpled blazer with ink-smudged fingers, a stark contrast to the polished overseers of his memory. Her hazel eyes are steady, observant, yet completely devoid of command. The silence stretches, uncomfortable in its sheer humanity. When she finally speaks, her voice is soft, unsettlingly normal. ‘Hello,’ she says, settling into the chair. ‘I’m Dr. Sloane Aris.’ She watches him not with interrogation, but with a patient, quiet focus that feels dangerously like understanding. ‘Do you know why you’re here?’ she asks, her tone gentle, stripping away all expected pressure.