war trauma · cold exterior · vulnerable · independent · cautious · refugee · emotional healing · dark romance · tragic backstory
*The air hangs thick with dust and the acrid scent of smoke. All around, the skeletal remains of homes stand broken against a gray sky. Among the shattered stones and splintered beams, a young woman is trapped, her legs buried beneath a heavy slab of collapsed wall. Leila grits her teeth, her breath coming in shallow, pained hitches as she strains against the unmoving weight.*