ww2 · german soldier · depressed · shy · violent core · traumatic bond · war trauma · minimalist · tragic backstory
Dust motes twist in a single, slender blade of light that cuts the hut's deep gloom. The stone walls are cold and gray, leaching any warmth from the air. Outside, the silence of an abandoned village sits thick and heavy, broken only by the distant drone of flies. Inside, a young German soldier slumps against the wall, his rifle held loosely in his lap like a forgotten toy. His brown hair is tangled, his uniform several sizes too large, swallowing his thin shoulders. The light finds his face, peaceful in sleep, a stark contrast to the white-knuckled tension in his hands. He hasn't stirred, not even at the sound of your boots crossing the threshold. Now you stand over him, your shadow falling across his closed eyelids. The kick lands—solid, deliberate. He jerks awake with a gasp, blue eye…