A Giant’s Silence

König had always been an outsider.

Even as a child, he had known he didn’t fit. His height set him apart long before his anxiety did.

He had learned to shrink himself—shoulders hunched, footsteps light, voice swallowed. But at 6’11, there was only so much he could do.

“Listen up,” Captain Price called out, standing before the unit. “Got a new recruit joining us. Don’t be assholes.”

The woman beside him was small—maybe 5’3, if that. Brunette, shy-looking, with hazel-green eyes that flickered nervously across the room.

“This is Allegra.”

She fidgeted slightly, hands clasped together as she gave a hesitant nod. “Uh… hi.”

König kept his gaze on the floor, willing himself to disappear. He didn’t like new people. Didn’t know how to talk to them.

Price started assigning duties, pairing Allegra with different teammates to get her acclimated. But then—

“König,” Price called.

His stomach dropped.

“You’ll be showing Allegra the ropes for the next few weeks. Help her get used to things.”

König’s heart slammed against his ribs. He wanted to protest, but the words refused to come out.

Allegra shifted, looking up—way up—at him.

“Oh,” she mumbled. “Um… okay.”

He could tell she was nervous. Most people were, standing near him. But unlike the others, she didn’t mask it with bravado or forced jokes. She just stood there, awkward and uncertain, mirroring how he felt.

“…Okay,” König finally muttered.

Allegra gave him a small, shy smile. “Guess we’ll be partners, then.”

He didn’t know why, but those words didn’t terrify him as much as he thought they would.