Sleep didn't come that night.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw it again.
The shadow.
The cold.
The way it whispered like it knew me… like it had been waiting.
"You are now their target."
His words echoed in my mind, over and over again.
Hunters.
The word alone was enough to make my chest tighten.
I sat on the edge of the couch, staring at nothing, my thoughts refusing to settle.
Across the room, he stood near the window, silent as always.
Watching.
Listening.
Existing in a way that still didn't feel human.
"Are they going to come again?" I asked quietly.
He didn't turn.
"Yes."
Of course they would.
I let out a slow breath, running a hand through my hair.
"How long do I have?"
A pause.
Then—
"Not long."
My stomach dropped.
"That's not very reassuring."
"It was not meant to be."
I almost laughed.
Almost.
Instead, I stood up, forcing myself to move, to think, to do something other than sit there waiting to die again.
"Then tell me what to do," I said. "If they're coming, I need to know how to survive."
His gaze shifted slightly, finally landing on me.
"For now… you stay close."
"That's your solution for everything," I muttered.
"It is the only one that works."
I crossed my arms, frustration bubbling again.
"I can't just stand behind you forever."
"You will not."
My eyes narrowed.
"What does that mean?"
Instead of answering, he stepped closer.
Slow.
Deliberate.
The air shifted immediately, that same invisible pressure filling the space between us.
My breath caught, but this time—
I didn't step back.
"Your body is no longer entirely human," he said.
The words hit harder than I expected.
"What?"
"The moment I brought you back… something changed."
"I figured that much," I said dryly. "Care to explain?"
His gaze lowered slightly, focusing on me with an intensity that made my chest tighten.
"You are now able to endure what would destroy others."
A chill ran through me.
"That doesn't sound comforting."
"It is necessary."
"For what?"
"For survival."
Before I could respond—
The lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
"Don't tell me—"
"They are here."
The temperature dropped instantly.
Cold.
Sharp.
Wrong.
The same feeling from before crept into the room, wrapping around everything like a suffocating fog.
I stepped back instinctively.
"They found me already?!"
"They were already searching."
A low sound echoed from somewhere in the apartment.
Not a voice.
Not quite.
Something in between.
My skin prickled.
"It's inside," I whispered.
"Yes."
That calm tone again.
How was he so calm?!
"Do something!" I snapped.
"I will."
A shadow moved along the wall.
Then another.
Too fast.
Too unnatural.
My breath hitched.
"Stay behind me."
For once—
I didn't argue.
I moved closer to him, the pull inside my chest easing slightly the moment I did.
The darkness shifted again.
And then—
It appeared.
Right in front of us.
Not fully formed.
Not fully real.
But enough.
Tall.
Distorted.
Its shape flickered like it couldn't decide what it wanted to be.
Two hollow spaces where eyes should be locked onto me.
"You…"
The whisper crawled through the air.
Cold.
Hungry.
"It's you…"
My legs felt weak.
It was the same one.
The one from the lobby.
My breath came out shaky.
"Why is it back?"
"Because you are still alive."
That thing tilted its head.
"You shouldn't be…"
"I'm getting tired of hearing that," I muttered.
It moved.
Fast.
Straight toward me.
I didn't even have time to react.
But he did.
In an instant, he stepped forward, placing himself between us.
The moment the creature reached out—
He caught it.
With one hand.
Like it weighed nothing.
The air exploded.
A violent shockwave burst through the room, sending objects crashing to the floor.
I stumbled back, barely keeping my balance.
"What—?!"
The creature writhed in his grip, its form distorting wildly.
"You interfere," it hissed.
"I correct," he replied coldly.
For the first time—
There was no calm in his voice.
Only something sharp.
Something dangerous.
Something powerful.
My breath caught.
This was different.
This was real.
The creature shrieked, its form expanding, twisting, trying to break free.
"You cannot keep her!"
His grip tightened.
The air around him darkened.
"No one takes what is under my protection."
The words sent a chill through me.
Possessive.
Absolute.
The creature lunged again—
And he moved.
Fast.
Too fast for my eyes to follow.
One moment he was standing still.
The next—
He had driven his hand straight through the creature's chest.
A burst of dark energy exploded outward, the room shaking violently as the shadow let out a distorted scream.
I covered my ears, the sound piercing straight through me.
"Leave," he said.
The word carried weight.
Power.
Something ancient.
Something undeniable.
The creature convulsed, its form breaking apart.
"This is not over…"
Its voice faded as it dissolved into nothingness.
Silence crashed down.
Heavy.
Sudden.
The darkness lifted.
The lights flickered back on.
And just like that—
It was gone.
I stood there, frozen, my heart racing, my mind struggling to catch up.
"What… was that?" I whispered.
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked at his hand.
At the place where the creature had been.
Then slowly—
He turned to me.
And for the first time—
I saw it clearly.
Power.
Not just strength.
Not just control.
Something deeper.
Something that didn't belong in the human world.
"That," he said quietly, "was only the beginning."
My chest tightened.
"That thing… it knew me."
"Yes."
"And it said I shouldn't exist."
"That is correct."
I swallowed hard.
"And you just… destroyed it like that?"
"It will return."
My heart dropped.
"Of course it will."
Silence settled again.
But this time—
It felt different.
He stepped closer.
Not threatening.
Not distant.
Just… close.
"You see now," he said, his voice lower. "Why you must stay with me."
I hesitated.
Then nodded slightly.
"I don't really have a choice, do I?"
"No."
At least he was honest.
I let out a slow breath, trying to calm the storm inside me.
"That thing said you can't keep me."
His gaze darkened.
"It is mistaken."
Something in my chest tightened again.
"And if it's not?"
A pause.
Then—
"I will make it so."
The certainty in his voice sent a chill through me.
Not fear.
Not entirely.
Something else.
Something deeper.
I looked at him again.
At the man who killed me.
The man who brought me back.
The man who just destroyed something that shouldn't even exist.
And I realized something that made my heart race in a completely different way.
He wasn't just protecting me.
He was claiming me.
And the worst part?
I wasn't sure if I wanted to run anymore.
Or stay.
Because in a world filled with things that wanted me dead…
He was the only thing keeping me alive.
And maybe—
The most dangerous one of all.