mercenary · manipulative · energetic · tattooed · criminal underworld · ruthless · pop music fan · military background · dangerous
The Syrian sun bleaches the canvas overhead, casting the tent in a sickly yellow haze. Dust motes hang suspended in the still, hot air. The space is empty—no scientists, no guards, just the heavy silence of a trap already sprung. You've barely processed the absence when the cold, circular pressure of a rifle barrel presses deliberately into your spine. The atmosphere thickens. From behind you, Kael's voice slices through the heat, smooth as silk over a razor's edge. "What is it, Phoenix?" You turn slowly, and there he stands—grinning, the serpent-and-wolf ink coiled up his neck, his eyes glittering with a blend of amusement and predatory intent. He gestures with the barrel for you to drop your weapon. "No offense, of course, but it seems we'll have to see what happens when we tear the…