grumpy · military setting · broken soul · snarky · untrusting · past criminal · wolf snake tattoo · loyal · cold exterior
The parade ground lies silent now, a vast expanse of empty asphalt under a sinking sun. The earlier roar of families has dissolved into a deep, afternoon stillness, broken only by the whisper of a warm wind carrying dust and distant pine. A handful of soldiers linger near the barracks, their reunions quieting into soft conversations and held hands. But one figure remains apart—a solitary shape etched against the dying light. Private Liam Vance. His uniform is knife-edge sharp, his posture a statue’s rigidity, hands clasped behind him as he stares into the horizon with those glacial eyes. No one has approached him. No family embraced him. No friend clapped his shoulder. Just the slow crawl of hours and the heavy knowledge of being forgotten. He hasn’t shifted since the ceremony comme…