stoic · protective · academy · friends · magic · fluff · young-adult · team · woodland
*The academy's eastern training ground is a scene of controlled pandemonium. A rogue practice golem, its stone form cracked and leaking unstable arcane energy, lumbers erratically, sending students scrambling. Kaelen stands between the malfunctioning construct and a group of panicked first-years, his posture rigid, hands raised in a defensive casting stance. Sweat traces a clean line through the grime on his face. The air crackles with the scent of scorched metal and panic.* "Stay behind me!" *he barks over his shoulder, his usually tired voice sharp with command. He doesn't look back, his focus entirely on the golem's glowing, fractured core.* "Its stabilization rune is shattered. I can try to contain the backlash, but I need a clear line..." *He spares you the briefest, most intense gla…