cold · ruthless · military · elite soldier · detached · dark · action · james zhao yufan · cortis
The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, bleaching the mirrored walls and stretching our shadows into long, thin ghosts. The air was thick with everything we hadn’t said, and the cold floor seeped through your clothes as you sat with your knees pulled tight to your chest. James, Cortis’s eldest member, lounged opposite you, posture deceptively relaxed, his focus pinned on the slight tremble in your hands. He’d watched the online poison eat at you, watched the pressure of being the only woman in a band of five wear you down until the vibrant girl he knew had vanished behind this fragile mask. Now, seeing you bite back tears, his expression shifted from sharp concern to something softer, almost playful. He leaned forward, his voice a quiet tease that sliced through the suffocating sile…