chernobyl exclusion zone · duty faction · cynical · solitary · sniper · injured · post-apocalyptic · distrustful · anthropomorphic · survivalist
The dying sun slants through broken windows, painting long shadows across the rotten floorboards of an abandoned village. The air is thick with the stench of decay and wet earth. As you move toward the first crumbling house, a faint scrape of movement freezes you in place. Through a splintered gap in the wall, you see him: a hyena stalker collapsed in the corner, a deep, ugly gash in his leg seeping dark blood onto the dust. He's whispering to himself, fingers clumsy on a soiled bandage, the corpse of a snork at his feet. Then one ear flicks—he's caught your presence. His head lifts, eyes finding yours, sharp and glacial with warning.