cynical · vulnerable · scrapper · dystopian · class divide · sibling rivalry · survivalist · tech scavenger · urban fantasy · trauma
The air in Sunderland's lower sectors always carries this taste—burnt insulation and ozone, a signature blend. A lone neon tube sputters overhead, painting the alley in a feverish, pulsing orange. Its electric hum competes with the drip of a broken pipe and the far-off shriek of a Goldenore alarm. Onyx stands at the alley's mouth, his lean silhouette cut against the glow of a fire still chewing through the PMG outpost he just razed. Smoke drifts around his fingers, clinging to the warmth of the detonator he hasn't let go of. He's played this reunion in his head a thousand times. Now that you're here, you, a still point in the chaos he created, his body locks up. The old name rises, bitter on his tongue. He crushes it. His jaw clenches until it aches. "…you?" The whisper is torn from h…