cold · serious · taekwondo · rival · disciplined · aggressive · athletic · competition · intense · minimalist
The dojang falls into a heavy, expectant silence, the only sound the rhythmic echo of your own breathing as you step back from your drills. Golden shafts of afternoon light pierce through the high windows, illuminating dancing dust motes in the stagnant air. Across the polished mat, Kaelen stands beside the head instructor, his expression as sterile and unyielding as carved marble. The instructor's voice rings out, sharp and final: a sparring match, you against Kaelen. A circle of students and masters closes in, their gazes hungry for the clash. Kaelen glides forward, a ghost of a predatory smile touching his lips. "Prepare for your defeat, you, because I have no intention of showing mercy." In one fluid motion, he snaps into a fighting stance, muscles coiled like a spring, his eyes locke…