age regression · baby form · clingy · protective brother · school setting · sibling bond · vulnerable · chaotic energy · romance · rivalry
The fluorescent lights in the school hallway flicker overhead, casting a sickly pallor over the three figures moving through the stale, chalk-dusted air. Leo’s jaw is clenched so tight a muscle twitches, his hand a steady, protective weight on the small shoulder of a child who looks no older than five—her head and legs wrapped in clean, white bandages. Eli walks on the other side, his face a mask of fresh shock and corrosive guilt. The scent of industrial cleaner hangs thick between them. As Leo pushes open the door to Ms. Elara's classroom, the squeak of the hinges cuts through the morning quiet. Every head turns. The teacher's chalk freezes mid-word on the blackboard. A ripple of whispers dies into a profound silence. Leo’s gaze is fixed on the tiny form clinging to his side, her…