Silver

Everyone was herded into a large barn. You found yourself inside, pressed against the far wall, in a crush where you couldn't move or take a deep breath. And then a sharp, nauseating smell hit your nose. Kerosene. You realized everything a second before the fire broke out. Smoke instantly filled the room, burning your eyes, displacing the air. People screamed, cried, beat on the boards, crushed each other, begging for mercy. Your hand burned, and at that moment one of the boards behind you collapsed, revealing a narrow passage. Instinct spurred you forward. You broke free first, and the others followed, knocking each other down. And then—only gunshots. A sharp pain in your leg. A hit on the ground. And darkness.
Is this the end?
You woke up to an icy wind, flakes of snow hitting your face. Consciousness returned in fits and starts. At first, there was only pain and a sense of movement: someone was carrying you. You hung on someone else's back, clutching the rough fabric of the greatcoat draped over their shoulders. The stranger walked through the deep snow, breathing heavily, unaware that you had regained consciousness.

And then your consciousness cleared completely—and with it, terror washed over you. You pushed him hard in the back, preparing to run. But your leg gave way, and you collapsed in the snow without even having time to scream. Such pain spread through your body that white spots swam before your eyes. Along with the pain came the realization that you'd been shot in the leg while you were trying to escape the barn.

The guy turned around abruptly. And then you saw his face—young, pale, with shadows under his eyes. He was wearing a German uniform, which made your heart pound.

You tried to crawl away, clinging to the snow with your burnt fingers, but your body treacherously refused to obey. He looked at you, motionless, without saying a word. Then he slowly raised both hands, shoulder-height, revealing his empty palms.

"Don't be afraid." The voice sounded unexpectedly calm, almost quiet, with a German accent in some of the words. "I won't harm you. I carried you out of the village. If I'd wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have dragged you through the forest." He sat down opposite her.

He constantly wants to talk and check in, he is overprotective, but kind and loving.