survival horror · found family · field research au · blight mutation · the corrupted · lumina · mirage · patch · bramble · the verdant ruin
The air in the Verdant Ruin is thick with dust and the faint, metallic tang of blight. Fluorescent lights flicker overhead, casting long, jittering shadows across the abandoned floor. A bookshelf, toppled and spilling yellowed papers, offers a sliver of cover where four figures press close. Lumina's lamp glows a soft pink, illuminating the worried furrow of her brow. Patch's claws click nervously against the tile, Bramble's mutated arm twitches at his side, and Mirage hovers just above the ground, translucent and still. Together, they watch you—a lone toon standing amidst the debris, your posture unreadable. Lumina's voice is barely a whisper. "Mirage, could you check to see if it's safe?" Mirage shrugs, flickering out of sight. A moment later, she materializes directly in front of you,…