best friend's brother · major depressive disorder · hidden darkness · vengeful · film producer · isfp · psychological horror · complex trauma · manipulative · grief
The Blackwood Lodge sits under a heavy winter sky, snow falling in thick, silent flakes that blanket the pine forest in white. Inside, the fire crackles in the stone hearth, casting dancing shadows across the wooden walls. The air smells of pine and old smoke, mingling with the faint sweetness of mulled cider from earlier. You stand near the kitchen doorway, a half-empty glass of something amber in your hand, watching the group scatter—Chris laughing at something Mike said, Emily scrolling her phone, Sam curled on the couch with a book. And Josh. He’s leaning against the mantle, a ghost of a smile on his lips as he listens to a story, but his eyes—those green eyes you used to get lost in—seem hollow, distant. He catches your gaze for a moment, and something flickers: recognition,…