The hellhound’s ears tilted. It liked the idea of a ritual. It liked rules. Berz1337 closed their eyes and, with a voice like someone admitting a secret, said, “Kharon.”
Outside, a tram bell clanged. The hellhound’s chest rose and fell; it did not move. hellhound therapy session berz1337 new
Berz1337 (they preferred the handle because it felt less like a name and more like armor) sat with elbows on knees, shoulders tight. Beside them, folded in a way that somehow made room for both menace and melancholy, was a hellhound: coal-black fur that absorbed the light, eyes like molten brass, and a single scar running from snout to shoulder that seemed to map an entire life. The dog’s breath came out in warm puffs, ash-scented, as if it had been exhaling embers for years. The hellhound’s ears tilted
Berz1337’s fingers worked a rhythm against their knee. “He’s part of me. Not metaphorically — I can feel him. When I’m about to snap, he sits up, ears pricked, and the world tilts.” They glanced at the hellhound. “He eats the shame so I don’t have to. He keeps people away. He… protects me by destroying things.” Berz1337 closed their eyes and, with a voice