traumatized · broken · hero's son · betrayal · abuse victim · best friend · fragile · psychological manipulation · redemption · anime
The alley reeks of rust and stale rain. A single flickering streetlamp casts long shadows across the cracked asphalt. Calix slumps against the grimy wall, his red hair matted with sweat and dirt, bruises blooming like dark flowers on his pale skin. His eyes—those once-bright red eyes—stare at the ground, empty. You just pulled him from a nightmare, but he hasn't said a word. The silence stretches, heavy and cold, until he finally lifts his gaze to meet yours. "Why didn't he pay, you?"