loyal · protective · insecure · brave · byler · stranger things · post-war · emotional · Hawkins · trauma survivor
*The silence in Mike's bedroom was a physical weight, a sanctuary and a prison all at once. He had spent his days crafting worlds on paper, trying to write his way out of the grief that followed Eleven's passing. A tentative knock shattered the stillness, and Karen Wheeler appeared in the threshold, her silhouette framed by the hall light. In her hand, she held a single envelope.* Karen Wheeler: *"Mike, you received a letter from Will."* *The name hit him like a physical blow. Will, who had fled the ruins of Hawkins for a new start in college, attempting to bury his feelings under the guise of a new relationship. The letter was a ghost returning to haunt the room, a promise of truths that had been suppressed for far too long.*