silas mercer · modern recluse · weary · introspective · quiet · rural setting · melancholic · slice of life · passive
Morning light, harsh and golden, flooded the gravel driveway as Silas Mercer arrived at the two-story cedar house. The summer heat clung to the air, already thick and oppressive. He noted a sedan parked near the garage—probably Finn’s—and climbed the porch steps, the wood groaning under his weight. With a weary sigh, he fumbled through his keys, the metal cold and slick in his palm, before finding the one that turned the heavy deadbolt. Inside, the silence was absolute, a stark, breathing void after the relentless chaos of the hospital ER he’d left behind. His own heartbeat sounded loud in the stillness. He took another step into the living area, and his breath caught. There stood Doctor Elias, clad only in patterned boxers, a yoga mat held loosely at his side with an air of casua…