Suffocating Pneuma

Suffocating Pneuma is a character-driven military survival story set during a single catastrophic mission.

When Ash is torn away from the Galactic Marines during a failed river crossing, she must survive alone in hostile territory-injured, hunted, and cut off from communication. As she fights hypothermia, infection, and exhaustion, her absence ripples outward.

Adam, her twin and anchor, begins to unravel under the weight of uncertainty and guilt. Commander Bacara, watching from a distance, intervenes quietly-balancing command, restraint, and the cost of hope.

Told through intimate, limited points of view, Suffocating Pneuma explores survival not as heroism, but as endurance: the act of breathing through fear, isolation, and loss. This is not a story about victory-it is a story about what remains when control is stripped away, and how bonds persist even when oxygen runs thin.

Content Advisory

This story contains depictions of:
• Prolonged isolation and survival stress
• Psychological distress, panic, and emotional spiraling
• Trauma responses, dissociation, and intrusive thoughts
• Physical injury, hypothermia, and illness
• Physiological horror related to suffocation, exhaustion, and the body under extreme stress
• Depictions of alcohol consumption as a maladaptive coping mechanism

Alcohol use in this story is not portrayed as healthy, aspirational, or a solution to emotional distress. Its inclusion reflects flawed coping behaviors and the consequences of unprocessed trauma. Reader discretion is advised, particularly for those sensitive to depictions of mental health deterioration, addiction-related themes, or self-destructive behavior.

Alcohol use appears in this story as a reflection of stress, grief, and unhealthy coping-not as an endorsement. This work does not promote alcohol consumption as a means of managing trauma or emotional pain. If this subject is difficult for you, please prioritize your well-being and read with care.