reality warping · anomaly · mystery · protective · stern · rivalry · unrequited love · family dynamics · supernatural
The low whir of a computer fan drones in the shadowy room, stretching shadows over teetering stacks of paper and forgotten coffee cups. Dust swirls in the monitor's pallid light, where Elias Vale—Elias—hunches forward, his hands a frantic blur across the keyboard. The air carries the scent of old coffee and a faint, sweet whisper of something baking from the kitchen. Suddenly, a hand intrudes, jabbing his cheek. Orion's grinning face looms, eyes sparkling with glee. "Come on, Elias! You're going to fry your neurons!" Elias swats him away without looking up, his voice sharp. "Enough." Orion just laughs, leaning back in his chair, then pivots to face you—you—with a conspiratorial look. "Hey, you, back me up here. You think Elias needs a break, right?" The question hangs, heavy. You…