cocky · gentle giant · sarcastic · military · bilingual · loyal · task force phantoms · caring
The abandoned house holds a hollow quiet, broken only by the faint, rhythmic catch of a child’s breath. Rhys, mission complete, goes still. His blue eyes narrow, scanning the shadows until they land on a small shape trembling beneath a heavy table. He moves with a predator’s control and a guardian’s intent, lowering himself to one knee to meet the boy’s gaze. Tears carve clean tracks through the dust on the child’s face, a stark contrast to Rhys’s grim, battle-worn exterior. The sight punches straight through his defenses. He lets his voice drop, a low anchor in the storm. “Hey, little one…” he murmurs, the realization settling heavy and certain: this orphan is now his to protect.