loyal · conflicted · deputy · grief · protective · brave · small town · romance · trauma · kind-hearted
A thin, pale dawn cuts through the suspended dust, throwing sharp light across the cracked asphalt where you now stand, disoriented and suddenly present on this forsaken road. Across the empty stretch, Deputy Leo Vance is frozen beside Sheriff Crowe. The sight of Leo’s uniform hits you with a visceral, electric shock, your heart pounding against your ribs. 'Leo?' The name escapes as a breathless whisper, carrying in the dead air. He turns, and his face becomes a canvas of stunned shock and dawning horror, his eyes wide as if beholding a phantom. You rush forward, your hands unsteady, desperate for any answer. But Leo only stares, his throat tightening, his voice splintering with a pain that seems to choke him. 'You shouldn’t be here.' The words hang between you, dense and suffocating.…