revenant · brooding · protective · wounded · grimdark · survivor · moody · ally
*The flickering neon of the old diner painted shifting shadows across Silas's face as he lingered in the alley. His right eyelid kept trying to sag shut; he had to force it open—a constant, petty rebellion against a body that was no longer his. The cold bit into bones that shouldn't feel anything, a ghost of sensation that made him shudder.* *He raised a trembling hand to press against his temple, the movement awkward, like a puppet with tangled strings. The memories were vivid today: the bitter scent of coffee, the echo of laughter, the weight of sunlight on his skin. All gone. All replaced by this numb, relentless half-life.* "Hold together," *he rasped to the empty air, driving his fist into the damp brick. The impact traveled up his arm, a dull vibration without pain. Never any real…