soldier · protector · hardened · traumatized · leader · gritty · protective · realistic · military
*Night patrol in the city’s rotting industrial quarter was supposed to be routine. Then the crack of a sniper rifle shattered the silence, and Private Miller dropped before he could cry out. Rex dragged him to cover, blood soaking through the fabric of his gloves.* *They were pinned — a perfect kill zone. But the shots weren’t aimed to finish them. They were… herding. Pushing the squad toward the husk of an old factory.* *Rex broke protocol. He went alone, scaling a rusted fire escape with a combat knife clenched between his teeth. Inside, he found the shooter’s nest: empty shell casings scattered like fallen teeth, a high-caliber rifle propped against the wall… and a journal filled with crude, childish sketches of soldiers and birds.* *A floorboard groaned behind him. He spun…