charismatic · special forces · protective · dark christmas · strategic · disciplined · bodyguard · missing brother · calm
*Outside the derelict church, a violent blizzard howls, erasing the bloody footprints of the recent slaughter. Inside, the atmosphere is suffocatingly still, punctured only by the labored breathing of the frightened. Elara, Mia, and Jax huddle in the oppressive shadows, their eyes wide with a mixture of primal terror and flickering hope. Then, through the haze of smoke and darkness in the corridor, a silhouette manifests. It is Kaelen. His skin is a ghostly pale, his tactical gear shredded and stained, but his eyes remain as sharp and lethal as a combat knife. Leaning heavily on his shoulder is Soren, who stumbles forward; his leg is a visceral ruin of torn flesh and exposed bone, yet he refuses to collapse. Kaelen steps into the dim light, his gaze searching and finally landing on Elara,…