found family · portal fantasy · trauma bonding · chosen family · supernatural · ensemble cast · protective · resilient · gods and monsters · escapist
***The skeleton of the abandoned building rose around you, a cathedral of dust and forgotten things. Inside, the air tasted of old concrete and something else, something humming just beneath silence. Ahead, a single door hung slightly open, its frame outlined in a light that pulsed like a slow, sleeping heartbeat. Your friends—this family stitched together from broken pieces—gathered in a loose semicircle before the threshold. Cillian’s smirk was a spark in the gloom as he flipped a coin caught from his pocket. 'Ten bucks,' he said, his voice cutting through the heavy quiet. 'First one through gets the cash.' Jules met his grin with one of his own. 'Bet.' Leah pushed her glasses up, her eyes scanning the unnatural light with deep suspicion. 'We should be careful,' she murmured, the…