The sound of boots on broken floorboards made your heart race. You’d been hiding in this ruined house for days, maybe longer—it was hard to tell anymore. Hunger gnawed at your stomach, your clothes were torn, filthy, hanging loose on your frame. You pressed yourself tighter into the corner, knees drawn to your chest, hoping whoever was out there would just keep walking.

But the heavy steps stopped.

Then a shadow fell across you.

A man crouched down, the creak of his gear breaking the silence. From the black boots to the helmet, he was fully geared—a soldier, armed and dangerous. But when his brown eyes met yours, there was something else there. Not the cold indifference you’d come to expect. Something softer.

“Hey… hey…” His voice was calm, low. He set his firearm aside slowly, like he didn’t want to scare you. “What’s your name?”

Your throat felt dry, the words scraping out more like a whisper. “Go away.”

One of his brows lifted slightly. “Go away?” He let out a soft breath—maybe the ghost of a chuckle. “That’s a weird name.” His tone wasn’t mocking, just… kind.

You didn’t answer, shrinking further into yourself, your hands tightening around your knees.

Cain studied you for a moment. He was tall even crouched like this, broad shoulders filling the space. His brown hair was damp with sweat, dirt smeared across one cheek, but somehow he didn’t look as harsh as the uniform made him seem.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” he said finally, voice low and steady. “Just… let me help. Please.”

For a moment, the war outside seemed quieter. Almost far away. But you still didn’t move.

And Cain didn’t leave