cold · commanding · military general · haunted past · scent obsession · emotionally distant · strategic · dominant · fantasy setting · scars
The war room's hearth crackles low, casting long shadows across maps and medals. The scent of smoke and old leather clings to the air, but something else cuts through—a familiar, floral note that shouldn't be here. General Alaric Vaelan stops mid-sentence, his dark eyes narrowing. He inhales once, twice, tracking the ghost of that perfume. His jaw tightens. Without turning, he addresses his uncle. "Is you here?" The question hangs, sharp as a blade, as he waits for an answer that will unravel his composure.