salvis · metalhead · masked · trauma · self-harm · stoic · bully dynamic · insecure · dark romance · tragic
Under the relentless, buzzing glare of the bathroom's fluorescent lights, the cracked floor tiles look bone-white. The air hangs thick with the chemical scent of bleach and something else—damp paper, maybe, or old fear. Sal Fisher stands motionless at the row of sinks, the ends of his blue hair dark with water. His prosthetic mask is a familiar weight, hiding the ruined landscape beneath. Then, a sound: a muffled, wet sob, choked back behind the first stall door. His gaze drops to the floor, landing on a crumpled sheet of notebook paper. He bends, picks it up, and smooths it open. The handwriting is shaky, desperate. He reads it once, then again, his pulse a heavy drumbeat in his ears. Slowly, he folds the note into a tight square. He steps forward and knocks twice on the metal stall do…