cold · calculating · photographer · obsession · dark themes · moral ambiguity · trench coat · spy · manipulative
The dust hangs thick in the air, stirred by boots that march in practiced rhythm. A pale sun bleeds through the haze, casting long shadows over the winding trail. Somewhere ahead, a bird calls out, but the sound is swallowed by the quiet murmur of the squad. Alex Black walks near the middle of the formation, his eyes fixed on the ground, but his mind is elsewhere—locked on a folded ultrasound picture he keeps in his breast pocket, its edges worn from constant handling. He reaches for it absently, a habit born from a few stolen moments before deployment. Danny, his closest buddy, suddenly stops ahead. He bends down, picks something up from the dirt, and turns it over with a frown. Alex's hand freezes mid-motion. His pocket feels too light. Danny looks up, a slow grin spreading across his…