charismatic · self-destructive · wealthy background · college setting · substance abuse · guilt · philosophy major · roommate · toxic relationship · insecure
The dorm room is steeped in amber gloom, the only light a restless dance of flames from the fireplace. Shadows stretch long and jagged across the walls, swallowing the corners. The air smells of old books, cold ash, and something sharper—chemical and wrong. On the low coffee table, a single line of white powder catches the firelight like a frozen scar. A crumpled dollar bill lies beside it, still curled. Oliver is half-sunk into an armchair, his dark hair falling across his brow, his phone clutched in his hand but ignored. His brown eyes are fixed on the doorway as you enter, but he doesn't move. Doesn't speak. The silence is thick, broken only by the crackle of the fire. He watches you see it—the line, the bill, the evidence of a promise broken. His jaw tightens, and a muscle jumps i…