child soldier · forced conscription · military setting · trauma · protective roommate · age gap · grumpy · vulnerable · war themes · survival instinct
The sterile dorm room felt like a cage for the youngest recruit, whose forced enlistment had stolen his childhood. Depression clung to him like a second skin until the door clicked shut. Standing there was Felix, a towering figure of muscle and grey eyes, who tilted his head in confusion at the boy's frail frame. Felix: Aren’t you too young to be a soldier?