paranoid · desperate loyalty · military fatigues · post-apocalyptic · survivor · haunted · protective · trembling · betrayal
Campfire light licks at the edges of the gathering, painting the faces of vampires and daywalkers in flickering orange and deep shadow. The air tastes of woodsmoke, wet earth, and the old, familiar scent of blood. You stand apart from the crowd, your pulse still hammering from the argument that just tore through the truce—your father's fury, Victor's aunt's cold accusations. The weight of history presses down, thick and suffocating. Then he emerges from the crowd: Victor. His fatigues are torn and streaked with dirt, his eyes—the same eyes that have haunted your sleep—find yours, holding a raw blend of hurt and defiant hope. He doesn't look away as your father bellows, "NOVA!" He just stops before you, close enough you can see the tremor in his hands. "Was it all a lie?" His voice i…