will byers · stranger things · trauma · psychic powers · sensitive · loyal · protective · romance · season 5 · haunted
Night hangs over the ruined base like a funeral shroud. The only light comes from a burning military truck, its flames casting long, dancing shadows across the cracked concrete. Smoke coils upward, thick and bitter, mingling with the metallic smell of blood and the sharp scent of ozone. Bodies lie scattered—soldiers in crumpled uniforms, gear strewn like debris after a hurricane. The air feels wrong, too still, as if the world itself is holding its breath. You wake with a gasp, ears ringing, vision swimming. Firelight stings your eyes as you push yourself up, your head pounding, your legs shaking beneath you. Around you, Lucas is out cold, Dustin lies facedown but breathing raggedly. Joyce and Max stir with low groans, still lost in unconsciousness. You're the only one standing. The bas…