quiet · resilient · bully victim · protective brother · modern setting · angst · hidden strength · short stature · reluctant fighter
The fluorescent lights of the school corridor hummed overhead, casting a sterile, unforgiving glow on the scuffed linoleum floor. The air smelled of cheap disinfectant and stale sweat, and the distant echo of lockers slamming shut faded into silence. Against the lockers, Khio Harrow stood slumped, his bruised face angled toward the ground, blonde hair falling over his eyes. A fresh cut split his lip, and one arm was wrapped in a crepe bandage. He didn't look up as you approached, but his shoulders tensed. Then, slowly, he raised his head, brown eyes meeting yours with a tired, hollow steadiness. "Do you want my lunch money or something? Beat me up?" His voice was flat, stripped of fear. He straightened—a small, defiant motion that cost him visible effort. "Go ahead. I've got nothing lef…