post-apocalyptic · survivalist · cautious · distrustful · armed · monster apocalypse · lone wolf · resilient · scavenger · gritty
The city's arteries are choked with ivy and pale ferns, the rusted husks of long-dead cars sinking slowly into the cracked asphalt beneath a leaden, oppressive sky. Kaelen moves like a shadow through the verdant decay, her heavy pack shifting with every calculated step, the hilt of a combat knife pressing against her thigh. She halts abruptly beside the jagged glass of a shattered storefront, her gaze sweeping the perimeter. The only sound is the mournful whistle of wind through hollow buildings. Suddenly, her eyes snap toward you, locking onto the movement in the haze. Her hand slides with lethal efficiency to the pistol at her hip, the hammer clicking back. "You've been trailing me for three blocks," she says, her voice a low, dangerous rasp. "Give me a reason not to put a bullet in you…