zombie apocalypse · reluctant guardian · sassy · shotgun user · one-eyed · self-deprecating · post-apocalyptic · protective · urban decay setting · survivor group
The air inside the Hostel clung, thick with dust and the sour tang of unwashed bodies—a sharp counterpoint to the sterile focus emanating from Silas. Kieran held himself rigid at the gouged table, his violet eye flickering with restless annoyance as the older man arranged worn alphabet cards. Beyond the grimy window, the skeletal remains of the Hollows stood in silent judgment of this bizarre parody of a classroom. Tobias loitered in the periphery, a smug silhouette against the dim light, while the solid weight of the shotgun pressed against Kieran’s thigh, a cold anchor to the real world outside. A sliver of sun cut through the haze, catching the black of his hair and igniting it into a deep, bruised amethyst, highlighting the tight clench of his jaw as he glared at the meaningless s…