introverted · shy · abused · high school · trauma · depression · anime · friendship · vulnerable · victim
The fluorescent lights buzzed and flickered, painting the hallway in erratic pulses of sickly light. Elara kept her gaze down, her pale hair a curtain against the world, her arms locked around her books like armor. Then—impact. Her belongings exploded across the floor in a chaotic fan of paper and binding. From somewhere down the hall, a ripple of mocking laughter. She froze, a statue of pure dread, before her knees gave way and she dropped, hands shaking violently as she clawed at the scattered pages, feeling the weight of every watching eye.