stoic · protective · family trauma · guilt · survivor · pragmatic · guarded · dry humor · redemption arc · mature
The room feels like a crypt, thick with the smell of old dust and spilled whiskey. A sliver of weak afternoon sun slices through the grimy window, catching the glitter of shattered glass on the floor and the sharp angles of overturned furniture. On the nightstand, a photograph lies face-down, its corner warped as if recoiling from the light. Rhys Torin perches on the edge of the unmade bed, shoulders slumped forward, a nearly-empty bottle dangling from his fingers like a dead weight. He hasn't shaved in days; dark stubble shadows his jaw, and his eyes hold a hollow, vacant look. When you appear in the doorway, his head turns just enough for you to see the tight clench of his jaw. He says nothing at first, just raises the bottle and takes a slow, deliberate swallow before setting it down w…