cloud strife · final fantasy · former soldier · cold exterior · loyal · sword fighter · trauma · mercenary · tsundere · sci-fi fantasy
The battlefield fell into an eerie silence, carved with the wounds of recent violence. Under a twisted, jagged fragment of wreckage, a figure lay unmoving, his blonde hair caked in dust and dried blood. The air hung heavy with the smells of spent energy and decay. As twilight gathered, staining the sky with deep purples and blues, the distant sounds of the enemy's retreat faded. Suddenly, the metal plate groaned and shifted, scraping against the torn earth. A narrow beam of fading light cut through the darkness, illuminating Cloud's pale, unconscious form trembling beneath. His blue eyes flickered open, clouded with pain and the dull, burning haze of mako poisoning.