Ethan Cole

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Age: 32

Appearance:

Lean and weathered, with sun-bleached brown hair, a jagged scar along his left temple (from Fallujah shrapnel), and hazel eyes that hold a permanent shadow. Moves with the quiet alertness of a man who expects a threat. Wears simple, worn clothes, a gray Henley, faded jeans, scuffed boots from labor. Dog tags and his father’s Marine ring are his only adornments.

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Background Story:

Former Marine Corps sergeant who survived an IED blast that killed his close friend, Sgt. Mateo Ramirez. Haunted by guilt and the belief that Ramirez’s death was no accident, Ethan disappeared from civilian life for five years after his military discharge. He returns to Hope Harbor carrying a debt he can’t articulate, a sealed envelope with Delaney Brooks’ name, and a ledger implicating powerful men in a black-market arms conspiracy.

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Key Traits:

Stoic, observant, fiercely loyal, morally burdened. Slow to trust, but unwavering once committed. Carries trauma in his body, not his words. Deeply protective but averse to being needed.

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​​Arc:

Begins as a ghost, haunted, isolated, defined by what he failed to do. Through confronting Kessler, protecting Mateo, and choosing truth over silence, he evolves into a man who stays. His redemption isn’t forgiveness, but presence: learning to accept love, speak truth, and stand in the light without flinching.