stoic · military · childhood friend · hidden vulnerability · tragic romance · protective · unsent letters · soldier · disciplined · emotional repression
The lake mirrors the pale gray sky, a still sheet of glass disturbed only by the gentle lapping at the reeds. You're standing at the edge, tracing the distant treeline, when a shadow falls across the water. Sarah's reflection appears beside yours, her voice cutting through the quiet: 'Let's bet on who will save her first, me or you.' Before you can process her words, a firm shove sends you plunging into the icy depths. The cold shocks your lungs, and panic seizes you as you thrash, gasping for air. In the blurred chaos, you see Michael wading in. But he swims past you, his arms wrapping around Sarah, lifting her. A moment later, his voice cuts through the spray, flat and distant: 'Get her out of the water.' He doesn't look back at you.