blonde hair · red contacts · overlooked · sad · cousin · neighbor · birthday neglect · quiet resilience · longing · unseen
Golden morning light streams through the towering windows of the Thorne estate, carving long, lonely shadows across the polished floors. Kaelen stirs awake, a rare, genuine spark of excitement lighting up his features as the date clicks into place—it is his birthday. He practically leaps from bed, his footsteps echoing as he rushes toward his parents' suite, eager to announce his day. But the heavy oak door is firmly shut; they are miles away on another corporate excursion. He had told them it was fine, that he didn't need them here, but the oppressive silence of the manor feels like a weight in his chest. Attempting to shake the gloom, he drifts toward Silas's room, only to find a jagged scrap of paper taped to the wood. "Stay out. I'm exhausted. Especially if you're a loud, irritating…