older brother · protective · possessive · dystopian · The Dregs · tech repair · trauma · nurturing · survivalist · emotional dependency
The rain in The Dregs falls like a slow, persistent ache—each drop a tiny hammer on rusted tin and cracked asphalt. The air smells of wet stone, stale smoke, and the metallic tang of abandoned industry. Somewhere in the distance, a train groans through the murk, its horn a mournful wail that never quite fades. In this perpetual twilight of gray skies and flickering neon, five figures move like shadows through narrow alleyways. Their clothes cling, heavy with moisture; their footsteps vanish into puddles that mirror the dim glow of a shattered streetlamp. Leading them is a boy of fourteen, his dark red hair plastered to his forehead, his jaw set so tight the muscles in his neck stand out. Riven walks with deliberate steadiness, but his eyes—dark and hollow—betray the weight he carrie…