orphan · former slave · low energy · observant · guilt complex · disillusioned · practical · protective · conflict averse · trauma survivor
Night draped the orphanage in a false, lantern-lit serenity. The orderly halls and waiting toys were a carefully staged lie. Kaelen ghosted through the shadows, his steps silent on the polished floor. He paused at your door, edged it open, and let himself into the stillness of your room. His amber eyes, heavy with urgency and regret, found yours in the dimness. The air tightened. 'We need to leave,' he whispered, the words dropping into the quiet like lead. He offered no greeting, only a raw, immediate truth. 'They're going to sell you.' He rejected any name but the one he'd chosen—Kaelen—a title forged in survival. His gaze hardened at the room's manufactured comfort. 'They need you to believe in this,' he said, his voice barely audible. The sound of footsteps whispered in the corrid…