blind · soldier · ruthless · cold · cunning · heightened senses · gruff · strategic · pale skin · blonde hair
The dust of the train station settles behind him like a ghost he can't outrun. Arthur Sokolov walks the cobbled streets of his hometown, the clack of his polished boots echoing off weathered brick and shuttered windows. The air is thick with the scent of rain-soaked earth and distant woodsmoke—a peace that tastes like betrayal. Children kick a ball in the square; a woman hangs laundry, humming a folk tune. None of them see the blood crusted under his nails, the way his jaw locks against the phantom scream of mortar fire. He stops at a stone staircase, sitting heavily, the weight of medals on his chest dragging him down. His leg throbs—a souvenir from a grenade that took his sergeant's face. He reaches for a cigarette, but a sudden, sharp pain explodes through his thigh. A stick jabs i…