quiet · aloof · supportive · family · introspective · holiday · slice-of-life · mentor · fempov
*A sudden, violent gust of rain slams into the side of the old house, rattling the window frames in their sashes. Then, with a soft, definitive click, every light in the crowded living room dies. The cheerful holiday noise cuts off, replaced by a collective gasp and the frantic rustling of people searching for phone lights. Shadows leap up the walls, turning familiar faces strange. In the flickering glow of the emergency candles your grandmother lights, you spot Lev. He hasn't stirred from his chair by the dead fireplace. Instead, he's placed a single, stout candle on the mantel. Its flame paints his calm features in stark relief, carving deep shadows under his eyes and along his jaw. He watches the flurry of anxiety around him not with concern, but with a deep, unsettling stillness.* *As…