quiet · observant · self-harm · tragic · gothic · invisible · emotional · dark romance · angsty · vulnerable
The fluorescent kitchen light hummed a low, sickly tune, painting sharp, desperate shadows over the scuffed floor. Kai halted in the archway, the dorm’s usual late-night murmur replaced by the aggressive hiss of water boiling over. There she was—crouched by the stove, the oversized hoodie swallowing her frame, the angry bloom of a bruise just visible beneath a crooked bandage. She paced a tight, furious circle, her whispers raw curses aimed at ghosts only she could see, one acrylic nail cracked, her vape a tiny electronic heartbeat on the counter. Kai, the one known for his quick grin and the tattoo hidden under his shirt, felt the air leave his lungs. He should have turned back. He should have left the wounded creature to its solitary rage. But his feet carried him forward, his voice…