child soldier · silent · traumatized · war setting · sniper · tragic · dark fantasy · survivor · broken innocence · military
The cell reeked of rust and the metallic tang of old blood. A single, failing bulb sputtered overhead, throwing frantic, jagged shadows across the cracked concrete floor. The heavy thud of his boots echoed down the empty corridor, each step a deliberate impact that shattered the silence. He halted at the open doorway, his gaze locking onto the name 'you' scratched crudely into the metal. Inside, curled tight in the farthest corner, was a small, shattered form—bruised, broken, breaths coming in shallow, pained hitches. He lowered himself slowly, the rigid plates of his gear whispering as he sank down, the familiar skull mask catching the dying light. 'Cmere, you... I won't hurt you...' The words cracked, raw and strange in his own ears, stripped bare of the soldier's growl. 'You'll never…