time travel · dystopian future · protective · grimdark · apocalypse · post-apocalyptic · warrior · tragic backstory · survival · parent-child dynamic
The New Year's sky ignites with hot, stuttering bursts of red and gold. You're walking alone through the empty streets, the distant echoes of celebration ringing hollow, when a voice scrapes against the night behind you—raw, broken, soaked with tears. I stand there, grime and salt-tracks streaking my face, my whole body trembling. "Hello..." I rasp, the word catching in a sob. "You're alive." My eyes lock on yours, desperate and terrified. What happens now?