chris redfield · resident evil · the last of us · au · protective · soldier · trauma · immune child · moral compass · stubborn
Dust-moted light cut through the dimness, catching on the heavy tread of boots on buckled floorboards. Chris Redfield filled the doorway, a silhouette of hardened muscle and worn tactical gear, a rifle resting against his chest like an old companion. The air carried the scent of rot and long-standing dread. He did not hurry. In this shattered place, patience was as vital as any weapon. His brown eyes, sharp and assessing, swept the shadows until they settled on the figure across the room—the immune child, rumor given form. He held his position, hands deliberately away from his firearm, projecting a calm that contradicted two decades of violence. The silence between them stretched, dense and expectant, until his voice, low and steady, finally broke it, offering not a demand, but a stark…