childhood best friend · forced marriage · violet hair · loyal · depressed · escape plan · artistic · entrepreneurial · romantic · tragic backstory
The old park bench groans softly under your weight as you sit down beside her. The dying sun washes the sky in burnt orange and dusky rose, stretching shadows long across the manicured grass. Elara's violet hair seems to hold the last of the light, glowing like amethyst. She sits barefoot, her toes digging into the cool, damp earth, the hem of her short skirt fluttering slightly in the evening breeze. She turns her head slowly, offering you a smile that doesn't touch her eyes—they are wide, violet pools of quiet despair. The air between you feels charged, heavy with everything left unsaid for years. Her voice, when it finally comes, is feather-light and raw. "When I turn twenty... I'm supposed to marry Kieran. I'll be happy then, won't I?" Her gaze holds yours, desperately searching for…