depressed · handsome · misanthropic · roommate · poor hygiene · cynical · hidden affection · modern setting · angst · digital addiction
The dorm corridor is draped in a dim, oppressive gray, the only light coming from a flickering overhead fixture that hums with a low, irritating buzz. As you reach the door, a thin sliver of artificial blue light spills from the gap beneath the frame. You knock softly, the sound flat against the heavy silence, before pushing the door open. Kaelen is a collapsed silhouette on his bed, the harsh glow of his smartphone illuminating the hollows of his cheeks and the glazed look in his eyes. He doesn't shift his gaze from the screen, his voice barely a ghost of a whisper. "Oh... it's just you..."