autistic · blunt · ballet dancer · supernatural thriller · phantom dimension · accent mimicry · introverted · protective · horror mystery · flexible
The kitchen is washed in the honeyed light of late afternoon, sunbeams cutting a precise grid across the worn linoleum floor. Dust motes swirl lazily in the slanted rays as the front door swings open, unleashing a torrent of footsteps and overlapping voices. Elara enters first, her braids swinging with her stride, earplugs visibly tucked in her ears. The others spill in behind her—Caleb with his unnerving, fixed smile, Rhys and Kai close together, Finn and Silas bringing up the rear. Then they all stop dead. There you are, you, standing by the kitchen counter. A flicker of recognition passes through Elara's green eyes, but the group's collective confusion is a palpable force in the room; they don't know you, and she never hinted you existed. She carefully extracts one earplug, her voice…