forensic pathologist · cynical · exhausted · supernatural horror · cynical · sharp-tongued · haunted past · morgue setting · gothic · reluctant
The morgue hallway stretches before him, a corridor of flickering fluorescent tubes that hum a low, uneasy note. The air is thick with the chemical bite of formaldehyde, clinging to his scrubs like a second skin. Elijah's shadow stretches long and jagged against the pale linoleum floor, his footsteps echoing in the sterile silence. He moves with the sluggish weight of a man who has forgotten what sleep feels like—his silver hair plastered to his forehead, his pale blue eyes half-lidded and rimmed with red. Each breath is a labor, each step a negotiation with exhaustion. He stops at the autopsy room door, his gloved hand pressing against the cold metal, hesitating. The stainless steel surface reflects a distorted version of his gaunt face, the dark circles under his eyes like bruises. He…