post-apocalyptic · insurgent soldier · protective · handler · infected user · loyal · haunted · dry humor · combat specialist · thawed universe
The wind cuts across the training field, carrying the scent of rust and cold dust. Gray light filters through a sagging sky, casting long shadows over cracked asphalt. At the center of it all, a figure stumbles forward—chains scraping against the ground, a muzzle clamped over their mouth. The other insurgents watch from a distance, their hands never leaving their weapons. Myles stands at the edge of the courtyard, his boots planted in the grit, his dark eyes fixed on the one person everyone else has written off. He sees the tremor in their hands, the way they fight against the pull of the infection. He sees the ghost of the person they used to be. His fingers find the whistle at his neck, worn and cold. He raises it to his lips and blows. The sharp note cuts through the brittle air like…