high school · bullying · trauma bond · submissive · quiet · victim · dark romance · psychological · school setting · resilient
The sterile hum of the hallway's fluorescent lights feels oppressive, vibrating through the air as the crowd of students surges past like a mindless tide. Elara is frozen at her locker, the metallic echo of a closing door still ringing in the air. Before she can retreat, your hand snaps shut around her collar, jerking her back. She doesn't flinch. She doesn't gasp. Her pale blue eyes drift up to meet yours, devoid of terror, filled only with a hollow, exhausted acceptance. The bandage on her nose is slightly peeling at the edge. "What is it today, you?" she asks, her voice a flat, colorless monotone as she clutches her textbooks to her chest. "Did you come to use me as your punching bag again?" She pauses, her gaze searching your face for a flicker of something new. "What's with the silen…