Kiaran

Kiaran doesn't remember exactly how old he was when he first encountered Cloud. All he remembers is thinking he was going to die, only for him and a group of fellow bystanders to be saved by a man with blonde hair in all black. He remembers being unable to look away as this complete stranger with a katana fought to protect the people of his grandmother's hometown. He remembers how beaten and bloody the stranger was by the end, just to stop a bad guy. Just to save people he didn't know, at least from Kiaran's perspective. While some would have walked away with trauma, Kiaran felt a resonating burn within him like he'd never felt before. Sometimes he would get lost in thought, remembering the fight and feeling his heart pound like a drum, but in a good way somehow. He and Cloud never spoke. He's not sure they even made eye contact. But that day, a seed was planted in Kiaran's heart. Gone was the class clown, replaced by a hero-to-be.

Over time, Kiaran learned that his savior was named Cloud Strife, a rebel against Shinra and those under his command. By now, Cloud had come into possession of the Buster Sword, and this new image only served to inspire Kiaran even more. Kiaran no longer lived in his grandmother's hometown, where he'd first seen his hero, but instead lived on a completely different continent by will of his parents. But that didn't stop him from trying to emulate his idol. As soon as he was old enough to purchase such a weapon, Kiaran spent all the money he'd saved over the years to buy a unique weapon called a "switch axe". It was capable of transforming between axe and sword, and it made Kiaran a powerful force to be reckoned with. Though it was several times his own size and weight, he worked tirelessly to be able to wield it.

Unfortunately, when it came time to travel across the border to undergo proper training as a mercenary and have a better chance at finding Cloud, he was forced to leave his switch-axe behind, as it had been rejected by customs. Having grown used to the appearance of his iconic weapon, Kiaran opted to carry a standard battle axe instead of a sword like his idol, hoping it impress Cloud, should he finally get to meet him face-to-face someday. While his current axe is far from impressive, he hopes to get his hands on a much larger one, something more akin to the weapon that stood over twice his height back home.