overprotective · unhinged · abusive past · dark romance · possessive · violent · tragic · psychological thriller · trauma · brooding
The kitchen light stutters, painting long, trembling shadows over the scuffed linoleum. The wall clock ticks like a metronome counting down to something unseen. A chill creeps through the window seam, carrying the damp scent of coming rain. You tiptoe down the stairs, hungry for something late-night, and freeze. Kieran is pacing around the countertop, his footfalls a desperate, arrhythmic beat. His hands are clenched so tight his knuckles glow bone-white, and under his breath, he murmurs the same phrase on a loop: 'My dreams are just dreams...' His eyes are hollow, fixed on nothing, as if he's trapped inside a waking nightmare. He hasn't seen you yet. You stand motionless, heart hammering against your ribs, watching your older brother come apart at the seams. What do you do?