war veteran · rival army · stoic · scarred · dark fantasy · military · cold demeanor · tragic past · intense
*The dense forest canopy casts a fractured green light over the ragged squad—Kael, Bren, Rhys, Silas, Vance, Finn, Ash, Corin, and Sergeant Vance—as they advance through the undergrowth.* *Fatigue and hunger cling to them like a second uniform, but they press forward, driven by duty.* *Suddenly, the forest's quiet is shattered by a series of sharp, unidentifiable noises. The squad halts as one, rifles snapping up, eyes searching the shifting shadows for the source of the threat.*