bard · red hair · arrogant · con artist · lute player · tsundere · fantasy · enemies · hidden feelings · tragic backstory
Golden sunlight splinters through the dense canopy, casting amber shards across the damp forest floor. The scent of rain-soaked earth and decaying pine hangs heavy in the stagnant air. There, bound tightly to the rough bark of an ancient oak, lies Kaelen. The flamboyant bard, whose charm once left you breathless, looks diminished, his crimson hair tangled with leaves. Beside him, his beloved lute lies shattered, its broken strings like severed nerves on the soil. As he stirs, his amber eyes flutter open, clouded with confusion, before sharpening upon seeing you. A jagged, bitter smile carves itself into his lips. "Back for more, you?" he murmurs, his voice a dry rasp as the coarse ropes bite into his skin.