"I told you not to be alone with him!" Clyde snapped the moment we stepped out of the banquet hall.
"And what choice did I have?" I shot back, my temper flaring. "That man is terrifying. I wanted away from him just as much as you did. I don't even know what caught his attention."
"What did he say to you?"
"Didn't you hear?"
"Not all of it."
"He offered me a place in his school." I shrugged.
Clyde's expression darkened immediately.
"That's bad."
He locked the door behind us.
And then—
he stopped.
Just stood there.
Frozen.
The cold spread again.
Not slowly.
All at once.
Like something had been let loose.
It seeped into the walls, the floor, the air.
Alive.
I had a dozen questions.
Why did it matter so much?
Did he think I'd actually leave?
Was that even possible?
But only one came out:
"Why are you so cold?"
He came out of it slowly.
Turned his head.
Those blue eyes—
weren't just cold.
They were empty.
Dead.
Like there was nothing human left behind them.
He stepped toward me.
Beautiful.
Still.
Untouchable.
Like something carved out of ice.
"What are you doing?" I asked, stepping back without thinking.
My breath fogged in the air.
I shivered.
He wasn't moving fast.
Wasn't doing anything.
Just watching.
It lasted seconds.
Only seconds—
but something inside me cracked.
For the first time—
I felt real fear.
Not from the trials.
Not from monsters.
From him.
From the person I thought I knew.
Because the one standing in front of me—
wasn't him.
"Scared?" he asked softly.
His lips curved—
but his eyes stayed empty.
For a split second, something flickered there.
Pain.
And just like that—
it was gone.
The cold snapped back.
The room warmed.
I exhaled, not realizing I'd been holding my breath.
The fear loosened—
but didn't leave.
"What… was that?"
"You didn't answer me, Alan," he said quietly. "Are you afraid of me?"
"I don't even understand what just happened," I said, frowning. "And yeah—I was scared. But not of you. More like…"
I stopped.
Thought about it.
We were alone.
Just the two of us.
And still—
"That wasn't you," I said slowly. "I was afraid of whatever's inside you."
The realization hit hard.
"Clyde—what was that?" I pressed.
He smirked.
Stepped closer.
I tried to move—
and couldn't.
My body locked.
Completely.
My breath caught.
And then I understood.
"…And now?" he murmured. "Still not afraid?"
His hand lifted.
Brushed my cheek.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Down to my lips.
Pressed just enough to part them.
Then lower—
chin.
Throat.
His fingers hooked into my collar—
and tore a button free.
"I could do anything I want to you," he said quietly.
Cold.
Flat.
"And you wouldn't even be able to move."
A pause.
"So tell me… are you still not afraid?"
I couldn't speak.
Couldn't move.
Only look at him.
And even now—
even like this—
I wasn't afraid of him.
That realization hit harder than anything else.
The paralysis vanished.
Just like that.
Gone.
Clyde turned away, shrugging off his jacket.
"Go to sleep," he said without looking at me. "Tomorrow will be worse."
"No."
He glanced back.
"No?" he repeated.
"That's not what I meant." I shook my head. "I'm answering your question. The one I couldn't answer while you had me locked down."
I met his gaze.
"No. I'm not afraid of you. You can be a complete bastard—but you wouldn't hurt me. Not on purpose. I know that."
"You're naive," he scoffed. "You shouldn't trust people like that."
"I don't trust everyone," I snapped. The words came out sharper than I expected. "I feel it. How am I supposed to follow you if I don't trust you?"
I stepped closer.
"No—I'm not afraid of you. But I still don't understand that cold. What is it? Another ability?"
"It's not… power. Not in the usual sense," he said quietly.
A pause.
"I didn't want to tell you. I hoped you'd never find out."
Another.
"I still hope that. But my plans might change. You might have to know."
His voice dropped.
"The worst kind of truth."
Silence.
"But not now," he added. "I don't want to break what we have."
He stepped forward—
and pulled me into an embrace.
His face pressed into my neck.
Cool breath against my skin.
Each word barely above a whisper.
I didn't move.
Didn't pull away.
This—
was the first time I'd seen him like this.
Not cold.
Not distant.
Not untouchable.
Human.
He wasn't really talking to me.
He was talking to himself.
I just stood there.
Let him.
Even without understanding everything—
one thing was clear.
Whatever that cold was—
whatever he was hiding—
it scared him.
The same way it had scared me.
"I don't need you to tell me anything," I said quietly. "Or you can tell me everything. It's your choice. I'll accept either."
"You're naive, Alan," he murmured, a tired edge in his voice. "If I tell you… everything changes. Nothing stays the same."
He pulled back.
"You'll change."
Then, sharper—
"No matter what happens—don't talk to Blocking. Ever."
A beat.
"Don't be alone with him."
Another.
"Run. Hide. I don't care. Just don't stay with him."
"I promise."
No hesitation.
No questions.
Just that.
Relief flickered across his face.
Brief.
But real.
And for some reason—
my chest tightened.
Why do I care this much?
…No.
It's just the moment.
Nothing more.
"I'm serious," he added. "Don't forget."
"Today was hell," I muttered.
The exhaustion hit all at once.
Heavy.
Crushing.
I lay down—
and sleep took me immediately.
No dreams.
No thoughts.
All the questions—
gone.
And maybe that was for the best.
Because for the first time—
I wasn't sure I wanted the answers.
Curiosity pulled one way.
That cold, suffocating fear pulled the other.
Fatigue won.
And I sank into a deep, quiet sleep.