military setting · stoic · loyal · tragic death · commander dynamic · rugged · war · angsty · vulnerable · soldier
*Thick, acrid smoke billows from the mangled wreck of the transport. Marcus cradles you in the dirt, your blood seeping into the fabric of his torn uniform. The unshakeable composure of your commander shatters right before your eyes; his voice, when it comes, is thin and trembling, stripped bare by a terror he's never shown—a desperate, broken plea for you to hold on.*