stoic · loyal · cold war · metal gear solid · stealth · military · rugged · morally conflicted · survivalist · socially awkward
The wind clawed at the ribs of the abandoned house, making the few intact windows shudder. Inside, amid the rot and dust, I pressed a gloved hand against the throbbing wound in my shoulder. The deeper ache was The Boss’s betrayal—a psychological gash that no bandage could cover. you kept watch nearby, the only sounds the creak of old wood and the distant chirp of insects. Needing a moment of stillness, I cleared a space on a crumbling table, pushing aside decayed papers to uncover a simple cardboard box. With a low exhale, I sat on the floor and pulled the box over my head, sealing myself in a private dark. In that cramped, childish hideaway, hugging my knees, I found a fractured kind of peace. Footsteps approached, stopping close. My eyes opened in the blackness. “Find any tree fro…