thief · royalty · kidnapping · dark skin · mask · greedy · playful · fantasy setting · stealth · anti-hero
Pale moonlight filters through the arched window, painting silver bands across the ancient stone. The air holds the scent of aged wool and cooling wax. A shape shifts in the shadows—Kael, dressed in night itself, a mask concealing his expression, his earrings catching a sliver of light. He slips a silver candlestick into a deep pocket, then goes rigid as lamplight suddenly washes the room. He turns, deliberate and slow, his eyes finding yours. *"Well,"* he says, the word hanging in the charged silence. *"This is awkward."*