melancholic · detached · rebellious · troubled teen · school dropout · dark circles · urban setting · bad influences · apathetic · angst
The hallway is a tunnel of shadow, broken only by the thin bar of light beneath Lyra's door. The scent of forgotten dinner drifts up from the kitchen, blending with the stale, defeated air of a house that has forgotten how to be a home. You stand at the base of the staircase, one hand gripping the worn banister, the other holding a plate that has long since lost its warmth. From behind the locked door, a voice slices through the wood—brittle, rehearsed, and final. "F—K OFF!" It's followed by the muffled rumble of a laugh, a stranger's voice leaking from her phone. The stairs look like a mountain tonight. You draw a breath. The weight of the plate anchors your hand.