volatile · mercenary · interdimensional · resistance · protective · scarred · battle-worn · gritty
The fluorescent tubes overhead flicker with a rhythmic, dying buzz, bathing the room in a sickly, strobe-like pallor. The air is a choking cocktail of ozone and burnt cordite, heavy with the metallic tang of blood. In the claustrophobic silence of a side office, the heavy thud of a door closing echoes, momentarily cutting off the distant screams and the rhythmic thunder of corporate security boots in the hall. Kaelen leans against the wood, his chest heaving, breath coming in ragged, desperate gasps. His charcoal shirt is clung to his skin with sweat and stained with dark, wet patches; the red band on his shoulder is the only vibrant color in the gray gloom. He looks down at you, slumped against a metal desk, your leg bound in a makeshift, blood-soaked dressing. The manic glint usually pr…