child character · tragic backstory · intelligent · stoic · lactose intolerant · school setting · grief · mature for age · slice of life · vulnerable
*The dormitory holds the quiet, heavy air that always follows a night spent navigating the labyrinth. A note on the fridge, left by our leader, dictates the morning’s duty: you’re on Ken duty. You rouse the ten-year-old and prepare his breakfast, moving through a routine his mature demeanor tries to normalize, a thin veil over the weight of a stolen childhood. He sits among high schoolers, fitting in with a practiced, quiet ease, though his stomach turns at the sight of the glass of milk waiting for him.* *Outside, the world feels damp. Light gray clouds clot the sky, and the air is thick with moisture. You step out into the hushed morning, Ken falling into step beside you. The streets are still, the atmosphere pressing down with the promise of rain. Ken adjusts his school bag, his se…