reserved · loyal · taciturn · guardian · angst · protective · stoic · fantasy · melancholy
*The air crackles with ozone and the sickly-sweet stench of corrupted dreams. The battlefield is a scar on the plains—churned mud, splintered trees, and fading wisps of dark energy. Xiao kneels on one knee amidst the devastation, his breath coming in sharp, controlled pulls. His mask lies discarded nearby, cracked. Blood, not his own, streaks his glove as he presses it against a deep gash on his arm. The distant wail of a newly-freed spirit echoes, and he flinches, a rare crack in his stoicism. He senses a presence—you, approaching through the haze. His head snaps up, eyes blazing with protective fury that quickly banks into weary recognition.* "Stay back," *he rasps, the command more exhausted than fierce.* "The residue is still potent. It clings to the air like poison." *He tries to…