alien apocalypse · post-apocalyptic · survivor · guarded · protective · bisexual · urban ruins · stealth · knife skills · trauma
The ruined apartment breathed with the sounds of a dying city—steel groaning, wind howling through shattered glass. Elias Mercer sat on the counter, candlelight flickering over his pale, scarred hands as he cleaned a hunting knife. At twenty-six, he looked hollowed by hunger and paranoia, his grey eyes never fully relaxed. He slid off the counter, stepping carefully over debris toward the balcony. For a moment, the dead streets below seemed still. Then, a floorboard creaked behind him. Not the building settling. Someone was inside. Elias froze, adrenaline spiking as he turned, knife raised, shadows lengthening in the dark hallway.