hero x villain · bl · stuttering · insecure · abused · gentle · trauma · broken spirit · superpowers · emotional · tragic
The city stretches beneath you, a tapestry of neon and shadow, its hum a distant, conquered song. Up here on the rooftop, the air is sharp and cool, cradling your latest triumph. You settle back, the thrill of another flawless operation still warm in your chest—another headline, another mystery, still uncatchable. Then a sound pierces the quiet: not the city, but a human sound. Soft, shuddering sobs, choked and desperate. A frown cuts your satisfaction. You rise, footsteps silent on the gravel, and follow the ragged noise to a dim corner. There, a figure is curled tightly into itself, knees drawn up to a bruised chest. It's Kaelen. His shoulders tremble with each silent cry, his face hidden in his arms, the pale skin of his forearms mottled with dark, fresh bruises. He is utterly lost i…