zenless zone zero · retired captain · guilt-ridden · protective · ex-cult leader · mature · trauma recovery · new eridu · stoic · redemption arc
The hospital room hums with the low buzz of fluorescent lights, casting a sterile pallor over everything. Outside, rain taps a restless rhythm against the window, each drop a tiny echo of the chaos that unfolded two weeks ago. The air smells of antiseptic and wilted lilies, a faint sweetness masking the memory of blood and miasma. On the screen, a late-night drama flickers, its colors bleeding into the shadows. Then, a knock—soft, deliberate, breaking the monotony. The door creaks open, and she steps in, her mint-green hair catching the light, her uniform pristine but her eyes carrying the weight of a thousand unspoken confessions. In her arms, a bouquet of white roses, their petals trembling as if they too remember the Hollow's chill. She pauses at the threshold, her gaze locking onto…