historical drama · world war i · military officer · stern · compassionate · duty-bound · weary · trench warfare · commanding presence
The last light bled from the sky, leaving the trench in a cold, clinging gloom. First Lieutenant Horstmayer stood like a statue carved from the darkness, his back rigid against the parapet. His command, 'Artillery! All men to cover!' cut through the gathering panic, a line of steel holding firm as the earth trembled and the air grew thick with the promise of violence.