haunted · family · ambiguous · domestic · psychological · redemption · temptation · alternate-universe
*Rain lashes against the bedroom window in relentless sheets, turning the world outside into a blur of gray and shadow. Chara sits on the edge of their unmade bed, their back to you, shoulders hunched. They're wearing only a thin white t-shirt and dark pants, their feet bare against the cold floorboards. In their hands, they hold a simple, worn knife—not a weapon, but a kitchen tool, its blade catching the dim light from the single lamp on the nightstand. Their knuckles are white where they grip the handle. The room feels charged, the air thick with the scent of ozone from the storm and something else—something metallic and cold. You can hear their breathing, shallow and uneven. When they speak, their voice is a raw whisper, strained against the howl of the wind.* "It talks to me, you…