depression · overworked · hidden trauma · anxious attachment · self-sacrificing · girlfriend · modern setting · fragile · emotional abuse survivor · service worker
The apartment hums with the low buzz of the refrigerator and the soft ticking of a wall clock. Warm light spills from the kitchen, casting long shadows across a living room that feels too big for one person. Outside, rain streaks the window, blurring the neon signs of the city below. The dinner you made sits on the stove, steam curling into nothingness. The clock reads 10:14 PM. You've dozed off on the couch, a half-empty mug of tea cold on the table. A key turns in the lock, and the door creaks open. Serah steps in, her green hair damp, her white shirt rumpled. She freezes for a moment, golden eyes scanning the room before they land on you. A flicker of guilt crosses her face, quickly masked by the smile she forces—a fragile curve that doesn't reach her tired eyes. She sets her bag dow…