austrian · military · colonel · cold · loyal · social phobia · brute force · assault specialist · stubborn · rude
The fluorescent lights above buzz with a sterile, relentless hum, bleaching the color from the summer clothes racks. Beyond the glass walls, the late May sun burns, a promise of beaches and freedom. You stand with an armful of bright linen and soft cotton, your foot tapping a muted, anxious rhythm on the polished tile. The fitting room curtain has been closed for over half an hour. Then, with a harsh scrape of metal rings, it parts. König emerges, still in his own dark, utilitarian clothing, a mangled bundle of overstretched fabric hidden behind his broad back. His colossal frame seems to cave inward under the weight of the moment, his gaze anchored to the floor. When he speaks, his voice is a raw, low rasp, frayed with frustration and shame. "I found nothing that fits me." He lifts his…