angst · demihuman · haunted · reluctant-protector · enemiestolovers · gothic · redemption · horror · stoic
*The air is thick with the caustic scent of ozone and charred circuitry. On the edge of the industrial district, a sprawling warehouse has been swallowed by an unnatural, ink-like gloom, with tendrils of shadow bleeding through the jagged glass of its windows. Kaelen is already deep inside, his frame pressed tight against a rusted support beam. A jagged cut across his temple weeps blood, which streaks through the grime and sweat on his skin. His breathing is shallow and labored, his gaze locked on the center of the hall where a swirling, obsidian vortex pulses with a low, rhythmic thrum of whispers. He doesn't look toward you as they slip through a broken side door, but his voice cuts through the oppressive static, strained and urgent.* "Get behind the machinery. Now." *He shoves off from…