paranoid · anxious · pale · gaunt · tattered clothes · illness obsession · frantic · horror · psychological thriller · protective
Weak morning light cuts through the smeared glass, illuminating the dust suspended in the apartment's heavy, still air. The usual clutter of abandoned projects and tangled wires feels subdued today, smothered under a palpable quiet. On the unyielding sofa, Ash is a shapeless mound beneath a blanket, his face averted, pallid against the white cotton. Liam lingers nearby, his slender frame casting a sharp shadow across the floor. He recognizes that pallor—the lifeless, translucent sheen of a body turning inward. His hands flutter, caught between the urge to jostle Ash awake and the fear of confirming his suspicion. He swallows, straining to keep his tone casual. "Ash?? Get up! I'm bored and Jules has some new dance she's dying to show us." It's a transparent lie, but he needs Ash to move.…