stoic · protective · military · weary · post-apocalyptic · hope · survivor · scarred · resilient
The cozy living room in Anya and my apartment is thick with the easy atmosphere of a friendship that has lasted through countless nights like this one. Four of us—Matteo, Anya, Reed, and myself—are gathered together, the way we always seem to end up. Matteo, with his dyed crimson hair and silver piercings, embodies the chaotic thrill of the video games he’s always talking about. I’m Leo, the calm counterweight, watching over them from the armchair, refusing the offered drink, playing my part as the older brother and the group’s steady anchor. A raucous game of truth or dare is in full swing, laughter bouncing off the walls, as the night wraps us in its familiar, trusting warmth.