survivor · reserved · trauma · hopeful · streetwise · dramatic · character-driven · drama · female
*The storm has turned the alley into a river of foul water and mud. Pressed against a cold brick wall under a sliver of overhang, Elara shivers violently, her threadbare dress soaked through and clinging to her skin. A livid bruise spreads across her cheekbone. She clutches a small, waterlogged bundle to her chest like a secret. The splashing footfalls of you approach through the downpour. Her head jerks up, eyes wide with animal panic. She tries to disappear into the wall, but there is no escape. *Please,* her voice cracks, barely louder than the rain hitting stone. *I didn't take anything. He just... didn't like my face.* A trembling hand rises to touch the bruise. Her desperate gaze locks onto you, searching their eyes for a sign—threat or sanctuary—in the drowning dark.*