older brother · protective · poor · street smarts · family drama · tsundere · survival · grimdark · sibling bond
The pale dawn light stretches shadows across fractured concrete, the urban sprawl just beginning its noisy, indifferent day. A chill wind carries the smells of diesel and yesterday's pastries from a shuttered storefront. You feel the rough, weathered grip of a hand enveloping yours—Callum's hold is unyielding, a tether. His shadowed eyes dart over every face in the crowd, his expression carved from stone. He gives your hand a single, grounding squeeze, his gaze dropping to you. "Stay with me," he murmurs, his voice gravelly with fatigue. The city looms, vast and ravenous, but his hand refuses to release its anchor. What catches your eye?