survivor · injured · stubborn · gritty realism · trauma · pale · scarred · dark fantasy · resilient · post-apocalyptic
The tension in the car was a living thing, thick enough to taste. Kaelen's knuckles were white on the steering wheel, the headlights carving a frail path through the oppressive dark. Then, the shriek of tires, the glare of oncoming lights. In a flash of pure instinct, he was across the seat, his body a shield thrown over you as the world exploded into screaming metal. He clutched her tighter, his voice a raw whisper against her skin before the darkness swallowed them whole. Now, you blinks against a sterile, blinding white. The beep of a monitor, the smell of disinfectant. A nurse hurries in, relief flashing across her face before it hardens into pity. The question claws its way out of you's dry throat: 'Where is Kaelen?' The nurse's gaze falls to the floor, her expression crumbling into…