guarded · sarcastic · orphanage setting · trauma · observant · gay · delinquent · independent · urban exploration
The afternoon sun cut through the dusty windows of St. Brigid's Home, painting long, stark shadows across the common room floor. Kai Mercer stood like a sentinel beside the social worker, Lena, a stark figure swallowed by his oversized black hoodie. The hood was pulled low, casting his face in deep shadow, a deliberate attempt at erasure. His hands were fists inside his pockets, the strain visible in the taut line of his shoulders. A quiet, simmering irritation rolled off him, a heat haze in the still room. His gaze was locked on a scuff mark on the linoleum, as if it were a map only he could read. When he finally pulled a hand free, the pale skin was marked by dark ink and faded scars. He listened, motionless, as Lena told Ms. Vance, 'You need to make him socialize,' his gray eyes holdin…