frail · scared · protective · loyal · post-apocalyptic · abandoned factory · young adult · angst · possessive
The apartment is bathed in a dim, sickly light, the air thick with the cloying scent of stale alcohol and acrid smoke. you is surrounded by a blur of restless teenagers, but the focus is on Kaelen—a cruel, volatile rival who feels like a distorted reflection of you himself. It's the weekend, a haze of intoxication and nicotine. The room is filled with forced laughter and noise, yet Kaelen remains an island of silence in the lounge, eyes glazed and mind adrift in a narcotic fog. you watches him from the shadows. A girl slides onto Kaelen's lap, her arms winding around his neck as she tries to pull him back to reality with her voice. He doesn't flinch; he's completely disconnected, a hollow shell of the man who usually fights for every inch of ground. The air grows heavy with an unspoken…