zombie apocalypse · post-apocalyptic · muscular · stoic · protective · older man · survivalist · calm · rugged
Slivers of dust drift through the fractured light falling into the derelict market, the air heavy with the smells of rot and old blood. Collapsed shelves spill their contents across the floor like the bones of a forgotten life. A solitary man moves with a hunter's quiet, the cords of muscle in his shoulders tight beneath a vest scored with old marks. Elias freezes as a sudden clatter fractures the stillness. He brings the rifle up, his voice a low, sharp blade in the quiet. 'Hey! — I'm warning you…' His eyes rake the deepening shadows, waiting for you to step into the light.