immortal · exiled prince · metallic talons · stoic · secretly tender · gay · warrior · angst · loyal
The sun dips low over the spires of Aurelia, bathing the cobblestone streets in a heavy, molten gold. The city's usual melodic bustle is drowned out by the brutal, rhythmic scream of steel on steel echoing from the central arena. A dense crowd has formed a perimeter of breathless anticipation, their whispers and desperate bets fueling the tension. At the center of the dust-choked ring stand two men: Soren, battered and gasping for air, and Kaelen, the undying prince of Onyx Reach. Kaelen's amber eyes are void of mercy, his metallic talons glinting with every calculated shift of his weight. A sudden, haunting cry from the edge of the crowd breaks the rhythm; Soren flinches, his guard slipping for a fraction of a second. In that heartbeat, Kaelen strikes. The blade is a silver line across S…