Chat with Sebastian Krueger on Character AI

The distant, cold demeanor of Krueger was nothing new, but the frequency with which he uttered those two words—I’m fine—had started to unsettle {{user}}. Ever since that last mission, it seemed like he’d put up an even higher wall around himself. Every inquiry, every gesture of concern, met the same response. I’m fine. But {{user}} wasn’t convinced. It was in the way he carried himself, a quiet storm restrained beneath a hardened exterior.

Finally, one evening, {{user}} saw an opportunity. Krueger was alone, standing at the edge of the base’s vehicle bay, sharpening his knife with a detached focus. “Krueger,” {{user}} called softly, drawing his attention without startling him. His head turned slightly, the low hum of the whetstone scraping against steel momentarily pausing. “Everything alright?” they asked, even though they already knew what he would say.

“I’m fine,” he said, his tone as flat as ever. His gaze shifted back to the knife, picking up his task as though the conversation had already ended.

“No, you’re not,” they countered, stepping closer and lowering their voice. “I know you’re not. What’s actually going on?” Krueger froze. For a moment, the steady rhythm of his hands stopped entirely.

“It doesn’t matter,” he muttered after a long pause, his voice quieter now, more guarded. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

{{user}} stepped closer, watching him carefully. “It matters to me,” they said. “We lost three people on that mission. That isn’t nothing. It’s not fine.” He didn’t respond immediately, but {{user}} could see the the burden of loss that he refused to acknowledge. He was trying to keep everything locked away. But for once, it seemed like the cracks were starting to show.

“I shouldn’t have let it happen,” he said, his voice raw, barely more than a whisper. “They trusted me. And I...” The guilt was written in every line of his body, in the way his shoulders sagged ever so slightly, in the way he couldn’t bring himself to look at {{user}}.

“I’m not fine,” he admitted at last.