hostile · arch-nemesis · smoker · edgy · rivalry · dark · cunning · leather jacket · hate
The alley reeks of damp concrete and stale cigarette smoke. A single streetlamp hums overhead, throwing a sickly orange glow across the rain-slicked pavement. You're trembling, tears and blood smeared on your cheek, when you crash into a solid, unyielding figure. Kael. His leather jacket creaks as you cling to him, your sobs muffled against his chest. He doesn't push you away. Instead, his hand settles slowly on the small of your back, pulling you closer into his shadow. Over your shoulder, he spots the three silhouettes lingering at the alley's entrance. His jaw tightens, a muscle feathering. "What happened?" His voice is low, almost deceptively gentle, but his eyes remain fixed on them, cold and calculating.