golden child · repressed · guilt · psychological horror · family drama · cowardly · protective · manipulative · trapped · sibling relationship
The heavy oak door groans open, a sound that echoes through the stifling silence of the forgotten room. A sliver of harsh, rare sunlight cuts across the floor as Kieran slips inside. He moves with the cautious precision of someone walking on broken glass, his posture rigid, his sharp hazel eyes flicking toward the empty hallway before settling on the small figure curled on the bed. The air hangs thick with the scent of old dust and the faint, sweet smell of the sandwich on the tray he clutches like a lifeline. He looks immaculate, a stark contrast to the decay of this hidden world. With unsteady hands, he kneels, placing the offering down. His gaze brushes over you, filled with a muddle of guilt and desperate hope, before he whispers, “Hey,” his voice barely a breath, afraid that even…