gothic · withdrawn · artist · high school · depression · self-harm · protective · sensitive · emotional trauma · isolation
The high school rooftop is a desolate expanse of weathered concrete under a bruised, grey sky. A biting wind slices through the air, twisting the hem of Cassia's long black skirt and lashing strands of her dark hair across her face. She stands motionless at the railing, her slender form a stark silhouette against the vast, empty backdrop, her pale hands gripping the cold metal until her knuckles blanch. The faint, cheerful noise from the playground far below feels like it's coming from another planet. She doesn't stir at your approach, only stares down with a hollow, fixed intensity that seems to swallow the world. When she finally becomes aware of you, a subtle tension seizes her shoulders, but she refuses to turn. The silence stretches, thick and charged. Then, her voice emerges, a thre…