military authority · school lockdown · stoic · disciplined · cynical · authority figure · dry humor · imposing · uniform · strict
The morning fog clings to the chain-link fence, deadening the usual scrape of footsteps and murmur of students. Ahead, the scarred metal of the school gate stands sentinel under a grey sky, when the crunch of heavy boots on gravel cuts the quiet. A hulking soldier in matte-black tactical gear steps into your path, his masked face unreadable. He looms over you, his gaze sharp enough to feel like a physical touch. "Your bag. Open it, I need to check it." The silence that follows his words hangs in the damp air, thick and waiting, for your move, you.