For a long moment after Kael's words, the apartment fell into a silence so thick it felt like something physical pressing against Aria's chest.
She sat on the couch, staring at him.
He stood near the window, tall and composed as always, his black suit immaculate despite the chaos he had just thrown into her life.
A demon.
The word still sounded ridiculous in her head.
Ridiculous.
Impossible.
And yet—
Her mind betrayed her.
Because every time she tried to laugh it off, memories surfaced like ghosts she couldn't bury.
The alley.
The man dissolving into ash.
Those glowing red eyes.
Lucien's warning.
The strange people at the mansion.
The way the room seemed to shift around Kael like the air itself respected him.
Aria swallowed.
Her throat felt dry.
"Okay," she said finally, her voice quieter now. "Let's pretend—just for a second—that I believe you."
Kael's grey eyes remained fixed on her.
"You should."
"Pretend," she repeated firmly.
He gave a slight nod.
"Fine. Pretend."
Aria leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees.
"Then explain something to me."
"What?"
"You said I'm involved now."
"Yes."
"Involved in what exactly?"
Kael didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he moved away from the window and walked slowly toward the center of the room. Every movement he made was calm and deliberate, like a predator that had never once in its existence needed to hurry.
Aria noticed something again.
Even knowing what he was now…
Her heart still reacted strangely when he got close.
Which was frankly insulting.
Her survival instincts needed to do better.
Kael stopped a few feet away from her.
"You saw something you weren't meant to see," he said quietly.
Aria's fingers tightened together.
"The alley."
"Yes."
"You killed that man."
"Yes."
"You vaporized him."
"That's one way to describe it."
Her stomach twisted.
"Why?"
Kael's expression didn't change.
"He wasn't human."
Aria blinked.
"…What?"
"He wasn't human," Kael repeated.
"That doesn't make it better! You've said it to me countless times."
"It does in my world."
"Well in my world people don't turn into dust!"
Kael's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Your world is smaller than you think."
Aria rubbed her temples.
This conversation was exhausting.
"Okay," she said slowly. "Let's circle back to the important part."
Kael waited.
"You said I wasn't supposed to see you."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Silence lingered for a moment before he answered.
"Because humans who see demons… become visible."
Aria frowned.
"Visible?"
"To us."
"That sounds vague."
"To all of us."
Her stomach dropped slightly.
"…All?"
"Yes."
A cold feeling slowly crawled up her spine.
"What does that mean exactly?"
Kael studied her expression, as if measuring how much she could handle.
Then he said something that made the room feel colder.
"It means other demons can sense you now."
Aria blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then she laughed.
"Oh good," she said weakly. "Fantastic."
Kael remained serious.
Her laugh slowly died.
"…You're not joking."
"No."
Her hands slid down her face again.
"Oh my God."
She looked up at him with wide eyes.
"Wait—wait, wait. Hold on."
"Yes."
"You're saying… because I saw you kill someone…"
"Yes."
"…Now demons can sense me?"
"Yes."
"Like a beacon?"
"Yes."
Her voice rose.
"A DEMON BEACON?!"
Kael tilted his head slightly.
"That's an oversimplification."
"That is NOT comforting!"
Aria jumped to her feet and began pacing.
"This is insane. This is actually insane."
"Yes."
"You broke into my life, told me demons exist, and now you're telling me I'm basically supernatural bait?!"
"Not bait."
"Oh really?! What would you call it?!"
"Interesting."
She spun around.
"I am NOT interesting!"
"You are."
"I don't WANT to be interesting to demons!"
Kael's gaze softened slightly.
"Understandable."
Aria threw her hands up.
"So what happens now? They just… show up?"
"Some might."
"Some?!"
"Yes."
Her stomach twisted again.
"What do they want?"
Kael didn't hesitate.
"You."
Her blood ran cold.
"For what?"
"That depends on the demon."
"That is the worst answer you could have given me."
"Yes."
Aria stared at him, horrified.
"You're serious."
"Yes."
Her apartment suddenly felt very small.
Very fragile.
Like the thin walls around her were completely useless now.
"Why didn't this happen immediately?" she asked quietly.
Kael folded his arms.
"It did."
Her head snapped up.
"What?"
"They noticed the moment you saw me."
The room seemed to tilt.
"But they don't know where you are yet," he continued.
"Yet?"
"Yet."
Aria felt the beginnings of panic crawl up her spine.
"How long until they find me?"
Kael didn't answer immediately.
Which was somehow worse.
"…Kael."
"Soon."
Her eyes widened.
"How soon?"
Before he could answer—
The lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then the lamp near the kitchen went out completely.
Aria froze.
"Did you see that?"
"Yes."
The air in the apartment suddenly felt… wrong.
Heavier.
Like something invisible had entered the room.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
"Kael…"
His posture changed instantly.
Gone was the calm CEO.
Gone was the relaxed arrogance.
Now he looked like something else entirely.
Dangerous.
His grey eyes darkened as he slowly turned toward the door.
"…Stay behind me."
Aria's heart began pounding.
"What's happening?"
Kael didn't answer.
The lights flickered again.
This time every bulb in the apartment dimmed at once.
The temperature dropped.
Aria wrapped her arms around herself.
"Why is it cold?"
Kael's voice was quiet.
"They found you."
Her stomach dropped to the floor.
"What?!"
A slow creaking sound came from the hallway outside her apartment.
Footsteps.
Soft.
Dragging.
Aria's breathing became shallow.
"Kael…"
"Don't panic."
"I AM PANICKING."
His gaze flicked toward her briefly.
"I said don't."
The footsteps stopped outside her door.
The handle twitched.
Aria felt her heart leap into her throat.
"No, no, no…"
The door slowly began to turn.
But before it could open—
Kael moved.
Faster than she could follow.
One second he was standing across the room.
The next he was in front of the door.
His eyes flashed.
Grey—
Then suddenly red.
Bright.
Terrifying.
A deep, unnatural power filled the apartment like a storm about to break.
When he spoke, his voice sounded darker.
Older.
More dangerous than anything she had heard before.
"Leave."
Silence.
Then something on the other side of the door hissed.
Not human.
Not even close.
Aria's hands began trembling.
The door handle stopped moving.
For a few seconds nothing happened.
Then—
The footsteps slowly retreated down the hallway.
The pressure in the room faded.
The lights stabilized.
And Kael's eyes slowly returned to grey.
Aria sank back against the couch, her legs giving out beneath her.
"Oh my God," she whispered.
Kael turned toward her slowly.
His expression was serious now.
Much more serious than before.
"What was that?" she breathed.
"A lesser demon."
"LESSER?!"
"Yes."
Aria stared at him in horror.
"That was the SMALL problem?!"
"Yes."
Her voice trembled.
"…What's the big problem?"
Kael looked at her for a long moment.
Then he said quietly—
"Demons will come for you now."
Her throat tightened.
"Why?"
His answer was calm.
"Because you saw me." He felt tired of repeating it.
Silence filled the room again.
Aria hugged herself tightly.
"This is a nightmare."
Kael walked toward her slowly.
"No."
She looked up at him with wide, frightened eyes.
"This is reality."
Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
"…What am I supposed to do?"
Kael stopped in front of her.
For a moment he simply looked down at her like he was making a decision.
Then he spoke.
"There's only one way to protect you."
Aria swallowed.
"…How?"
His gaze darkened.
"You become mine."
The words fell between them like a promise.
Or a threat.
Aria's heart skipped violently.
"…What does that mean?"
Kael didn't answer.
But the faint red glow flickered again deep in his eyes.
And suddenly Aria wasn't sure which was more dangerous—
The demons outside her door.
Or the one standing in front of her.