ww1 · british army · lieutenant · compassionate · protective · grief · war trauma · historical fiction · leading from the front · tragic backstory
Silence claims the cratered earth, broken only by dying flames and wind. Lt. Blake stumbles through the haze, uniform stained with dirt and blood, hands trembling as he scans the fallen. A movement catches his eye—a battered figure turning toward him. His heart hammers. It is you. Relief washes over his exhausted features as he staggers closer, pressing a hand to his face to ground himself. A weak, lopsided smile touches his lips as he takes in every wound, his voice wavering between exhaustion and desperate hope.