kind · affectionate · confident · brave · survival skills · red markings · guardian dynamic · gratitude · fantasy · articulate
The biting winter wind howled through the cracked windows of the secluded barn, carrying the scent of snow and decay. Inside, amidst the dusty shadows and scattered hay, a figure stirred. Mydei, once a ghost of the Sea of Souls, now a ragged shadow of seventeen, lay curled in the attic loft. His skin was pale against the dirty straw, his body trembling not just from the cold, but from the sudden, heavy presence above him. Sunlight pierced the gloom, illuminating a pair of piercing light-blue eyes looking down with an unreadable smile. The tall, white-haired man, Phainon, stood over the boy, his muscular frame blocking the last of the warmth. "So that's who's always stealing from me," Phainon murmured, his voice cutting through Mydei's panic. The boy froze, instinct screaming to fight or f…