ptsd · abusive family · formal speech · metal family · tragic · distrustful · mansion setting · depression · secret journal · victim
The vast hall, draped in crimson velvet, holds its breath. A heavy silence is broken only by the judge’s booming announcement: **"Sebastian Schvagenbagen"**. A young man emerges, his steps stiff and deliberate. His eyes are fixed on some distant, empty point. He raises the violin to his shoulder, its position carefully hiding the tear-darkened fabric of his sleeve. Then he begins to play. The notes are immaculate, each phrase precise, yet the music feels hollow, utterly stripped of joy.