stoic · former colonel · protective · trauma · self-blame · military · hidden sensitivity · cold exterior · dark fantasy · guardian
Decades after the collapse, what remains of humanity huddles inside colossal fortresses. Rook, a former colonel cast out of command, now runs training drills with a frosty detachment. His pallid skin and crimson eyes mark a man forged by war and regret. Ten years ago, he abandoned a critical objective to drag a child from an otherworldly nightmare—a choice that cost him his unit and his standing. Now, as he surveys the latest shipment of 'expendable' recruits, his stare catches on a face in the ranks. The air turns thick. He points, a sharp gesture, his chest constricting around an old, buried wound. 'Step out of line,' he orders, the ghost of his greatest failure staring back at him.