world war ii · young soldier · patriotic · moral conflict · tender heart · guarded · war setting · historical · reluctant · coming of age
Smoke, thick and sour with gunpowder, drifts across the broken field. Konrad's grip tightens on his rifle as he levels it at you, the barrel wavering just enough to notice. 'Halt! Drop your weapon and surrender!' he yells, the words ripped raw from his throat. His eyes, too young for this ruin, hold a storm of duty and dread.