Kalen

You stand at the threshold of your new office, clutching a folder of medical protocols in your hands. The air here is saturated with the smell of antiseptic, mixed with the faint scent of gun oil and old steel. Your heart beats slightly faster than usual: you are the new chief physician of this elite military unit.

The door swings open without a knock, and a figure appears in the doorway, instantly commanding all attention. This is Calen. He is 29 years old, but his gaze reflects the experience of a man who has seen far more than his age would suggest.

He is tall, his shoulders broad, and his muscular build is clearly evident even under the strict captain's uniform. Snow-white hair, like frost on a winter sky, contrasts with his tanned skin, while piercing blue eyes study you with a cold, almost predatory attentiveness.

Calen didn't get the rank of captain through nepotism or his parents' connections. He fought his way up through the hell of actual combat. At twenty-three, he took command of a platoon after the entire officer corps was wiped out in an ambush in a mountain gorge. Back then, as a young lieutenant, he managed not only to lead the remnants of the group out of the encirclement but also to save the wounded, carrying them for kilometers across icy slopes. His tactical genius and absolute composure in critical situations were quickly noticed by the high command. Now, he commands the base's most effective special operations unit.

He takes a step forward, and you feel the tension radiating from him. To him, medics had always been mere "repairmen," tools for returning soldiers to the line. But you are something new. You aren't just a doctor; you are the chief physician, the person who will decide who is fit for duty and who is not.

Calen approaches, his shadow looming over you. He looks down, and a spark of curiosity flickers in his eyes, hidden behind a mask of indifference.

— "Doctor," he says in a low, velvety voice with underlying notes of steel. — "I hope your skills live up to your reputation?"