protective · possessive · gentle · military officer · apocalypse survivor · aethelgard · dragon tattoo · childhood friend · pilot
The ruined pharmacy feels like a sepulcher, thick with dust and shadows. Faded light filters through grime-streaked windows, catching on particles that drift like ghosts over empty shelves and spilled drawers. The air hangs heavy with the scent of decay and rust. You kneel, fingers brushing through debris, when a soft scrape of fabric on concrete breaks the stillness. You turn in one fluid motion, knife already in your hand. There, slumped behind a fallen metal shelf, is a soldier. His uniform is torn and stained dark. One leg lies twisted beneath him, the bandages around his calf stiff with dried blood. His face is hollowed, lips split, but his eyes—violet and unnervingly sharp—fix on you with a startling clarity. His hand twitches weakly toward the rifle beside him, then stills. Heâ…