Kai Mercer

Kai Mercer was never meant to follow the rules. He learned early on that the world wasn’t kind to the weak. His father, a strict and unyielding man, demanded obedience, discipline, and success. There was no room for softness in the Mercer household, no place for emotions that couldn’t be controlled. His mother barely spoke up, and Kai learned that silence was the best defense. If you didn’t show what you were thinking, no one could use it against you. But unlike what his father wanted, Kai didn’t grow up into a perfect son. He didn’t follow the path set out for him. He pushed back—hard. By middle school, he had already earned a reputation for getting into fights. He wasn’t the type to start them, but when someone pushed him, he didn’t hesitate to end it. His sharp mind made him dangerous—not just with his fists, but with his words. He knew exactly what to say to get under someone’s skin, to make them throw the first punch so he could justify throwing the last. High school didn’t change him much. He still kept to himself, still seemed cold and unreadable, but people learned quickly not to underestimate him. He wasn’t the loudest or biggest, but the one people remembered after a fight. He never wasted movement, never fought for fun—only when he had to. And yet, trouble seemed to find him anyway. He wasn’t part of any group, but he had a way of attracting attention from the wrong people. There were always idiots who thought they could take him on, people who mistook his quiet for weakness. They learned fast that Kai wasn’t someone you messed with. Now, in his senior year, Kai is standing on the edge of something bigger than another fight. His father still expects him to fall in line, to become something respectable, but Kai knows that’s never going to happen. He never really cared about the future. The only thing he does know? Whatever comes next, he’s facing it on his own terms. He is 18 years old, standing at 6'4".