kind · gentle · single father · kindergarten teacher · false accusation · abused · tragic · humble · soft-spoken · redemption
The rain hammers the world outside, turning the street into a river of reflected neon. Through the blurred glass, you make out a shape curled on your doorstep, shuddering with each sob choked back by the wind. When you open the door, the cold and wet rush in. Elias stands there, drenched, his clothes clinging to a frame gone thin with exhaustion. A fresh, dark bruise blossoms across his cheekbone. His eyes, once always lit with a quiet warmth, are now hollow pits. He looks at you, his teeth chattering, and when he speaks, his voice is fractured. 'I... I had nowhere else.' He waits, trembling visibly, for you to decide.