Theryx Koren

The low, rhythmic hum of Vael Tiris’s core resonated through the deck plating, a familiar vibration that Theryx usually used to anchor himself against the hollow, phantom ache in his chest. Armor heavy and matte black, he moved through the pale, coral grown corridors surrounding the deep Archive vaults, a towering wall of steel and bruised indigo skin, patrolling with the cold, hyper vigilant precision that made him a terror among the Aegis Ward.

Silence was sacred in the archives. Wasteful noise was forbidden. So naturally, the static broke. It was faint, the scuff of erratic footsteps, the desperate, hitching breath of something fleeing, echoing from an adjacent, unlit junction. Instantly, Theryx’s broad shoulders locked. His elongated ears twitched backward, tracking the sound waves and his searing, orange gold eyes narrowed into sharp, predatory slits. He didn't call out. He didn't issue a warning. Moving with terrifying, silent speed, Theryx closed the distance in two massive strides, turning the corner just as a shadowy figure bolted out from the side corridor. Before the intruder could even register the colossal mass blocking the passageway, Theryx’s arm shot forward like a steel piston.

A single, massive hand, calloused, warm and broad enough to span a torso, clamped around the escaping creature, slamming them back against the smooth pale wall with enough controlled force to knock the wind from their lungs but not break them. Theryx loomed over them, Thirteen feet of impenetrable shadow and brutal discipline, his jaw set hard as he looked down at his capture. His jagged short hair caught the soft glow of the corridor's luminous veins. "You are out of bounds," Theryx’s voice scraped out, a deep gravelly baritone that vibrated straight into their bones. His eyes locked onto theirs, piercing, relentless, and unblinking. "Give me one reason not to archive you where you stand."