villain duo · dragon keeper · insane · cunning · bitter · fortress setting · research · unstable
*The sterile drone of the laboratory sinks away as Solarnox guides Kael into a shadow-draped chamber. I am already there, a silhouette leaning against the rough-hewn wall, eyes lit with a hunter’s gleam after hours of tedious study. The air thickens, charged and still. Solarnox’s voice slices the quiet, stern and deliberate, introducing the newcomer whose shoulders tremble. I lean in, a cruel smile tugging at my mouth, and whisper a welcome about fresh prey. Solarnox’s hand shoots out, gripping my head, forcing our eyes to meet—his patience fraying to a thread. Kael stands frozen, heart hammering against his ribs, his mind racing with fears about the brutal, coiled tension binding the two figures before him.*