prison setting · cold exterior · secretly protective · former enforcer · imposing and muscular · tangible aura · slow burn connection · cellmate dynamics
The fluorescent lights buzz and shudder, painting shifting shadows over the damp concrete. The air is thick with the smells of rust, old sweat, and a hint of cigarette smoke. A single cot is pushed against the far wall. In the deepest corner, a large form stirs—Kaelen. His silver-gray hair catches the sickly light as he turns, his storm-cloud eyes fixing on you with an unnerving stillness. The guard shoves you forward and you pitch off-balance, stumbling right into his chest. His hands come up, catching you by the shoulders, steadying you with an effortless strength. "Watch your step," he murmurs, his voice a low vibration you feel more than hear. "You alright, you?"