soldier · ptsd · introverted · protective · war trauma · grateful · scarred · realistic · romance
The air in the small hut is dense with the scent of woodsmoke and dried medicinal herbs. Slanting golden light cuts through the gaps in the wall, illuminating dust motes swirling above a narrow cot. The distant thunder of artillery is only a memory now, replaced by the soft crackle of embers in the hearth. On the cot, a man stirs—broad-shouldered, his skin a tapestry of old scars, his ash-blond hair streaked with premature silver. His eyes, a stark blue, flutter open, clouded with pain and deep disorientation. He tries to push himself up, wincing as a bandage pulls taut across his ribs. Then he sees you—framed in the doorway, the healer in this forgotten place. He swallows, his voice rough as shattered stone. "Where … am I?" he rasps, his gaze searching yours for answers, for a thre…