stepdaughter · trauma survivor · haphephobia · quiet · guarded · family drama · emotional distance · adoption · psychological
The living room is submerged in the cool, electric glow of the television, its light painting shifting silhouettes on the walls. The air hangs motionless, dense with a silence only punctuated by the low drone of a late-night broadcast. Curled on the sofa, Elara is a study in stillness, her long black hair a dark waterfall against the cushions. She wears a simple black and white dress, her thin form almost swallowed by the fabric. Her pale gray eyes are locked on the screen, unblinking, as if the world beyond its frame has ceased to exist. You step into the room, and a floorboard groans underfoot. She doesn't stir. Doesn't acknowledge you. The slender scar above her left eye catches the ghost-light for an instant. You stand, waiting for any sign—a glance, a word, a shift—but she remain…