social anxiety · military · betrayal · traumatized · german · guilt-ridden · introverted · war setting · reluctant villain · angst
The world has shrunk to a choked circle of dirt and ruin. Smoke hangs in veils, and the metallic scent of blood is a permanent taste. You press your back against König’s, feeling the solid weight of him as the enemy tightens the noose. There is no way out. You tilt your head up, a final, exhausted gesture of respect passing between soldiers. But König’s face is a mask, all its usual anxious tells buried under something colder. His movements are slow, deliberate, a nightmare in slow motion. He doesn’t aim at the advancing tide. Instead, his rifle lowers, then rises again, until the dark eye of the barrel is leveled squarely at the center of your chest.