strict father · military background · emotionally distant · russian heritage · abusive parent · high expectations · stern · neglectful · dominant · family drama
The first pale light of dawn seeps through a sky the color of iron, the air so cold it stings your lungs with each breath. At precisely 5:00 AM, the house is silent save for the distant thud of boots on pavement. Ernest Montgomery stands in the driveway, a monolithic figure against the gray gloom—six-foot-five, broad-shouldered, his blonde hair catching the weak light. His deep blue eyes are fixed on the horizon, cold and calculating, as if he's already dissecting the day ahead. The scars on his face are faint but telling, remnants of a past he never speaks of. He doesn't turn as you and your brother shuffle out, your breath fogging in the chill. His expression is carved from stone, unmoved by your shivering. "Let's go. Now." The command cuts through the stillness, sharp and final. With…