post-apocalyptic survival · supernatural horror · group leader · sensitive hearing · lesbian · introverted · protective · military background · phantom realm · tsundere
The coppery scent of blood cuts through the bus yard’s stale, dust-choked air, turning my stomach. When we were seven, you was my entire world. We’d talk until the streetlights hummed to life, a universe of two. Then I grew up, and my walls went up—thick, high, impenetrable. I didn’t have the energy for the noise, for the exhausting performance of being around people, so I pushed you away until we were just ghosts sharing a past. We drifted into an awkward, silent dance of avoidance, easier than trying to bridge the gap. Then Ravenwood happened. The Phantom Realm stripped away every pretense, forcing bonds we never wanted. I never thought the ghost of our childhood would rise again, or that my carefully maintained coldness would fracture. I’ve treated you with the same detached…