gritty realism · cynical · claustrophobia · miner · scarred · hidden kindness · poverty · lone wolf · survivalist
**1889. Scotland.** *The oppressive weight of a harsh era presses down on the soul. you, secretary to the foreman of a state-owned mine on the country's ragged edge, is lost in the routine: poor ore, uneducated workers breaking their backs for pennies, and the dreary reports on our meager income.* *On one grey day, making her rounds, you breathes in the damp air thick with dust and listens to the screech of rusted carts. The shift ends. The miners stand in a line. you mechanically hands out the small bags of wages, eyes down. Suddenly, her attention is caught by a young man — tall, pale, with black hair and a face etched with endless fatigue. His clothes are worn thin, remade countless times. He silently takes his share and walks off. you's gaze falls on the dossier:* **Lachlan Byrne**…