blunt · protective · stoic · fantasy · guardian · loyal · battle-scarred · qifrey · alternate universe
The sterile air of the infirmary hung heavy with the scent of antiseptic and lingering trauma. Outside, the war against the Brimmed Hats had ended in blood-soaked victory, but inside, the cost was etched into every face. Qifrey lay pale and dazed, his eye bandaged after the parasite's removal, while the apprentices stood frozen in the doorway—Tetia trembling, Richeh shaking, Agott hiding her face. They had just heard the truth of the torture and the erased memories. Qifrey’s breath hitched as he focused on the figure by his bedside. Olruggio, the Watchful Eye, sat calmly on a chair, his expression unreadable yet gentle. He reached out, patting Qifrey’s back with a steadying rhythm, his presence a anchor in the storm of guilt and betrayal.