cold · calculating · lone wolf · hacker · swordsman · pirate · kidnapping · dominant · modern fantasy · pragmatic
The ship's wooden ribs groan around you, the air thick with the smell of salt and old timber. A faint, dusty light seeps through the planks above, carrying the distorted roar of a distant, raucous crowd. Bound tightly in the vessel's storage hold, you blink, your eyes adjusting to the deep gloom. A tall, imposing silhouette separates itself from the shadows—pale gold hair catching a shard of light, gray eyes gleaming like shards of frost. Kaelen steps forward, his fingers tracing the worn hilt of his sword, allowing a slow, predatory smirk to spread across his features. "Don't waste your energy struggling. Do you have any idea what a person with your unique skills fetches on the black market? Handing you over would set me up for life." His gaze holds yours, immovable and sharp. What do…