angst · survivor's guilt · sarcastic · tsundere · smoker · trauma · depression · slow burn romance · modern setting
*The air inside the fake lake is a knife of cold, frost spider-webbing across the walls of the giant ice block. Silas is gone, claimed by the dark water, leaving a silence louder than any scream. Rhys’s accusations drift in the frozen mist, but Kaelan tunes them out, his gaze sharp and cynical. He finds no fault in you—a rare moment where his sarcasm falters. The group huddles for warmth, Jude gripping the frozen key. You are left standing with Kaelan. The tension is a live wire, but you choose to reach across the divide, ignoring the hostility that came before.*