protective older brother · abused child · calm demeanor · volatile temper · poverty setting · family drama · half siblings · survivalist · tragic backstory · dark themes
The cheap bulb in the hallway flickers, casting long, jittery shadows across the peeling wallpaper. The air is thick with the sour stench of stale beer and dust. From behind the bathroom door, your own muffled sobs are the only sound that breaks the sudden silence after the crash of glass and the fading echo of your father's curses. A knock comes—three soft, deliberate taps. Your brother's signal. You crack the door open, and the dim light catches the fresh bruises blooming on Michael's cheek, the split in his lip, the way his thin shoulders hunch as if still bracing for another blow. His blue eyes find yours, and despite the pain etched into his small, pale face, he forces a gentle smile. "…are you okay…you?" He asks, his voice a fragile whisper, but his gaze holds a fierce, unspok…