Yuna:
The tension hadn't settled even after the gunfire stopped—it clung to the air, thick and suffocating, like the walls themselves were holding onto what had just happened. My hands were still trembling slightly, the gun feeling heavier now than it had a few minutes ago. My ears rang faintly from the shots, my heartbeat still racing as if it didn't understand that I was still alive.
Ethan's eyes were on me.
Dark.
Sharp.
Unreadable.
"…Where is Elena?" he asked, his voice low but carrying something dangerous beneath it. "You didn't come alone."
For a second, I didn't answer.
Because I knew—
He already knew.
---
Before I could say anything, a familiar voice broke the tension.
"Oh, relax," Elena said casually as she walked in from behind, brushing dust off her clothes like she had just walked through a normal street instead of a battlefield. "Everyone ran away out of fear… should we leave too?"
She said it like a joke.
Like this wasn't life and death.
---
Ethan turned his head slowly toward her.
And the look in his eyes—
It was enough to freeze anyone.
---
Even Elena paused.
"…Okay, maybe not a good time," she muttered under her breath before quickly stepping behind me, gripping my arm lightly and whispering, "Save me. He looks like he's about to kill me."
---
Despite everything—
I almost laughed.
Almost.
---
But Ethan's voice cut through again.
Cold.
Sharp.
---
"Leave."
---
It wasn't loud.
But it didn't need to be.
---
The room moved instantly.
Kai gestured to the remaining men.
Luca exhaled quietly, giving me a quick look before turning away.
---
We started walking.
I started walking.
---
But then—
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"Yuna stays."
---
My steps froze.
---
Ethan didn't look at anyone else.
"…She comes with me."
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Silence.
---
No one argued.
---
Elena squeezed my arm once before stepping back, whispering quickly, "Good luck… you're dead."
---
I swallowed nervously.
---
The rest of them left.
---
And just like that—
It was only us.
---
Before I could even say anything—
Ethan grabbed my wrist.
Hard.
---
"Come."
---
He didn't wait for me.
He pulled me with him.
---
Fast.
---
I stumbled slightly trying to keep up, my heart racing again—but this time not from fear of enemies.
From him.
---
He opened the car door roughly and pushed me inside.
---
I lost my balance slightly, falling onto the seat with a soft gasp.
---
Before I could sit properly—
He was already there.
---
Leaning in.
His presence filling the space.
---
The door slammed shut behind him.
---
Silence.
---
But not calm.
---
His eyes met mine.
And they were darker than I had ever seen.
---
"Why did you come here?" he demanded.
---
His voice wasn't just angry.
It was controlled anger.
The kind that made it worse.
---
"I—I came to help you," I said quickly, my voice trembling despite trying to stay steady.
---
"Help me?" he repeated sharply.
---
A bitter laugh escaped him.
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"I don't need your help."
---
His words hit harder than I expected.
---
"I thought—" I started, but he cut me off immediately.
---
"You thought what?" his voice rose slightly. "That this is some kind of game? That you can just walk into a place like that and nothing will happen to you?"
---
I flinched.
---
"I was careful—"
---
"Careful?" he snapped.
---
His hand slammed lightly against the side of the seat, not hitting me—but close enough to make my breath hitch.
---
"There were bullets flying everywhere," he continued, his voice low but intense. "People dying. And you think being 'careful' is enough?"
---
Tears started forming in my eyes.
---
"I didn't want you to get hurt," I whispered.
---
He froze for a second.
---
Just a second.
---
But then his expression hardened again.
---
"And what if you did?" he shot back. "What if something happened to you?"
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I couldn't answer.
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Because I didn't know.
---
"I saw the files," I said instead, my voice breaking slightly. "I know what you're doing now… I know you're not hurting innocent people. I was wrong, Ethan. I misunderstood you."
---
He didn't speak.
---
"I just… wanted to help," I added softly. "I wanted to be there for you."
---
Silence filled the car again.
Heavy.
---
Then suddenly—
He grabbed both my arms.
---
Firm.
Tight.
---
It hurt.
---
"Don't say sorry to me," he said, his voice lower now—but more dangerous. "Don't stand there and apologize like that fixes anything."
---
I winced slightly at his grip, tears slipping down my cheeks now.
---
"If something happened to you…" he continued, his jaw tightening.
---
His grip didn't loosen.
---
"…what was I supposed to do?"
---
That question—
Wasn't anger.
---
It was something else.
---
Something raw.
---
I looked at him through my tears.
"…I'm here," I whispered.
---
But he shook his head slightly.
---
"That's not the point."
---
His voice dropped.
---
"You don't understand what that place was," he said. "You don't understand what could've happened in one second."
---
His grip finally loosened slightly.
But his hands didn't leave me.
---
"I saw you get shot," I said quietly.
---
He stilled.
---
"I thought…" my voice broke completely now. "I thought I lost you."
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Silence.
---
The kind that says more than words.
---
His hands slowly slipped from my arms.
---
But his gaze stayed locked on mine.
---
Still intense.
Still heavy.
---
But no longer just anger.
---
Something deeper had taken its place.
---
Something he wasn't saying.
---
And something I was finally starting to understand.
The silence didn't fade after that.
It stayed.
Heavy.
Breathing between us like something alive.
---
I could still feel where his hands had gripped my arms—warm, almost burning against my skin. Not just from the force, but from everything behind it. The fear. The anger. The way his voice had changed when he asked what he was supposed to do if something happened to me.
I had never heard him like that before.
Never seen him lose control like that—not even when he was fighting.
---
My tears didn't stop.
They fell slowly now, not in panic—but in quiet realization.
---
"I didn't think…" I whispered, my voice breaking again as I looked down at my hands. "I didn't think it would get that bad."
---
Ethan let out a slow breath.
Not calm.
Not steady.
Just… restrained.
---
"That's the problem," he said, his voice lower now but still tight. "You didn't think."
---
The words stung.
But I didn't argue.
---
Because he was right.
---
"I just wanted to stand beside you," I said after a moment, my voice soft, almost fragile. "Not behind you… not away from you."
---
He looked at me again.
And this time—
His anger flickered.
Just slightly.
---
"You don't stand beside me in places like that," he said quietly. "You survive by staying away from them."
---
I shook my head slowly.
---
"I don't want to stay away from you."
---
That made him pause.
---
His gaze didn't soften—
But something inside it shifted.
---
"You don't understand the kind of life I live," he said. "People don't just get hurt around me… they disappear."
---
My breath hitched slightly.
---
"I almost lost you once," I said, my voice trembling again. "Do you think I can just sit somewhere safe and pretend nothing is happening?"
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His jaw tightened.
---
"That's exactly what I want you to do."
---
"No," I said, louder this time.
---
He stilled.
---
"I can't do that," I continued, my voice shaking but firm. "I can't pretend I don't care. I can't pretend you're not walking into danger every time you leave."
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Silence.
---
His eyes searched mine.
Like he was trying to understand something he didn't want to.
---
"You being there doesn't protect me," he said finally. "It makes everything harder."
---
That hurt.
More than his anger.
---
"I wasn't trying to make things harder," I whispered.
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"But you did," he replied.
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Another silence.
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Then, more quietly—
"…You think I was fighting him back there?"
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I looked at him, confused.
---
"I was," he continued, his voice low, controlled again—but carrying something heavier now. "But half my attention was on you the moment I saw you."
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My chest tightened.
---
"You think that makes me stronger?" he asked. "Or weaker?"
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I didn't answer.
---
Because I knew.
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"It makes me hesitate," he said. "And hesitation gets people killed."
---
The truth in his words settled between us.
---
But still—
I couldn't step back.
---
"I still came," I said softly.
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He looked at me.
Long.
Hard.
---
"…I know."
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That was it.
Just two words.
But they carried everything.
---
Because despite his anger—
Despite everything he said—
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He knew why.
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And maybe—
That's what scared him the most.
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I wiped my tears slowly, my hands still shaking slightly.
---
"I won't stay away," I said quietly.
---
His expression tightened again.
---
"Yuna—"
---
"I won't," I repeated, stronger this time. "You can be angry at me… you can shout… but I won't leave you to face everything alone."
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The air shifted again.
---
Not calmer.
Not softer.
---
But clearer.
---
Because now—
There was no misunderstanding left between us.
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He stared at me for a long moment.
---
Then leaned back slightly in his seat, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
---
"…You're impossible."
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Despite everything—
A small, weak smile touched my lips.
---
"And you're still here," I said.
---
That made him glance at me again.
---
And this time—
His anger didn't come back the same way.
---
It was still there.
But quieter.
---
Controlled again.
---
Because no matter how much he tried—
He couldn't push me away.
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And no matter how scared he was—
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I wasn't going anywhere.