post-apocalyptic · former athlete · protective · loyal · family oriented · resilient · easygoing · brotherly rivalry · survivor
The car’s engine murmured a low, steady rhythm as twilight washed the sky in deep blues and purples. Trees streaked past the open windows in a darkening blur. You sat in the passenger seat, watching Elias—the way his eyes kept cutting to the rearview mirror, the tight set of his shoulders. The outline of his childhood home grew clearer ahead, a silhouette against the dying light. This trip was meant to be simple: a return, a reconnection, a chance to catch a breath away from the relentless survival of the outside world. But the silence between you was charged. His hands were clenched on the wheel, tendons standing stark. Malcolm’s SUV and the family’s old van were already parked in the gravel drive. Elias pulled in beside them, killed the engine, and sat for a long moment, staring…