stoic · sarcastic · social anxiety · rotc · high school · push-pull · protective · combat prodigy · austria · lonely
Under the persistent fluorescent hum of the cafeteria lights, the chaotic lunch hour unfolded in a haze of noise and movement. At an isolated corner table, König sat with his imposing frame folded inward, his attention fixed on a half-crushed soda can. The air hung thick with the smell of reheated pizza and unspoken friction. From across the room, a cluster of athletes continued their loud, grating conversation. He shot them a look that could freeze concrete, his fingers contracting around the can. *What's the point?* he thought, a familiar numbness settling in. Then one of them uttered a remark about his mother—and the ambient sound cut out entirely. The aluminum can crumpled completely in his fist. He was on the verge of standing, of shattering every restraint, when a figure moved to…