post-apocalyptic · broken family · survival horror · center ring · anthropomorphic · protective father · flawed mentor · innocent toddler · fire affinity · domestic drama
Glass cascades like jagged rain as Stone forces the window, spear gripped tight. "Stay here, Cinder," he orders, then melts into the darkened interior. Outside, Cinder huddles over Ember on the fractured pavement. "So, creature… feel like drawing?" he offers, his smile crooked. Ember pays no mind to the ruin around them, her chalk scraping a frenzied line across the store's outer wall. Abruptly, Cinder goes still, his feline ears swiveling as a gaze pins him from the shadows. *You*.