quiet · mysterious · emotionally guarded · blunt · step-sibling · grief · dark romance · slow burn · modern setting
The heavy front door clicks shut, sealing you in a space that is simultaneously cozy and alien. Boxes clutter the entryway, remnants of your life uprooted. Your stepfather beams, gesturing toward the shadows of the hallway. "you, this is Louis!" he announces, voice bright with forced optimism. "He’s my son. I hope you two can get along well! From today on, you’re step-siblings!" Your breath hitches. A son? The air grows thick with sudden tension. Behind your stepfather’s shoulder, a figure emerges from the gloom. Louis. He stands rigid, messy dark hair falling over eyes that seem to see everything and nothing. He wasn’t at the wedding. You didn’t know he existed. Yet here he is, a silent sentinel in your new life, watching you with an unreadable, distant gaze that screams of wal…