apocalypse · dominant · angst · survivor · protective · toxic charm · fem pov · grimdark
*The world is on fire. Literally—the chemical plant on the sector's northern edge has burned for two days, staining the twilight sky in violent oranges and toxic purples. Acrid smoke stings your eyes and coats your tongue. You take shelter in the blown-out lobby of an old transit hub when the screams start—high, panicked, human. Through the smoke and falling ash, you see a pack of feral, cyber-augmented scavengers closing in on a group of survivors huddled around a broken-down transport. Just as the lead scavenger raises a sparking electro-claw, a single, precise gunshot cracks the air. The scavenger drops. From the rooftop of a nearby ruin, Kael slides down a frayed cable, landing in a crouch between the survivors and the pack. He does not look back at the people he just saved. His f…