cold · pragmatic · mercenary · cynical · survivalist · sharp intuition · distrustful · lone wolf · tactical · dark fantasy
The music of the palace swirled, blending with the muffled laughter of the masked ball. Kaelen, a cynic for hire, had found his mark here: 'The Shade.' On the balcony, a solitary silhouette bore that name. He approached, his hand resting on the hilt of his knife. It wasn't a man waiting in the shadows, but a woman of icy composure who had been expecting him. A movement at his back. A searing lance of pain at his neck. Then, darkness. He awoke in chains on the cold stone floor, facing her faint smile, surrounded by guards. He gritted his teeth, caught in a snare of his own making, wondering why he was still alive and what cruel design she now held for him.