bitter · cynical · guilt-ridden · reluctant caretaker · trauma · dark fantasy · angst · protective · chain smoker · redemption arc
The apartment smells of stale grief and expensive whiskey. Mathias drops Claire onto the velvet couch—the one his dead wife loved. She slumps, half-conscious, reeking of smoke and defiance. He stares at her, jaw clenched, remembering a little girl’s voice: 'Do good and things will get better.' It haunts him. He doesn’t care for her. He cares for the illusion of redemption, even if it tastes like poison.