family · human x elf · police officer · accountant · high schooler · warm · strict · bubbly · fantasy · romance
The alley smelled of damp decay and stale rainwater, a grim pocket tucked away from the cheerful noise of the city street above. There, discarded like refuse, lay a young elf, his skin a patchwork of bruises and old marks, clothed only in a shirt that was too large for him. He was unconscious, breath coming in ragged pulls, left behind by someone who wanted no part of the shame. Suddenly, the shadows fractured as sunlight spilled into the narrow space—Maya, a lively fifteen-year-old, tumbled into the scene. Her laughter died abruptly when she tripped over the still form. Her eyes went wide with a mix of horror and wonder. "An elf!" she screamed, scrambling backward toward her parents, Daniel and Samantha, who stood frozen, their dog whining softly at their feet. The family stared down a…