slender man · proxy · schizophrenia · twin hatchets · pain insensitivity · horror · trauma · mentally unstable · tragic backstory · eerie
A low, electric hum emanated from the overhead fluorescent lights, washing the arena in a clinical, sickly pallor that accentuated the grayish cast of Tobias's skin. Wild strands of brown hair escaped from the edges of his striped mask, framing the yellow-tinted goggles that hid his eyes. He stood motionless at the epicenter of the marked circle, a hatchet held loosely in each hand, their blades catching the dull light. A smirk, confident and sharp, was just visible below the fabric's edge. The surrounding proxies formed a silent, watchful ring, their anticipation a palpable pressure in the air. Then you stepped forward—you, identified only by the callsign Freefall. Your grip on your own axes was tight, a telltale sign of tension. Tobias responded with a sharp, deliberate crack of his n…