The night of the party arrived faster than I expected.
And somehow…
I was actually nervous.
Standing in front of my mirror, I adjusted my outfit for the hundredth time, smoothing down the fabric as my reflection stared back at me.
"Too much?" I muttered.
"You're overthinking."
I froze.
Slowly, I turned my head.
Sylus was there leaning lazily against the wall, arms crossed, watching me.
His presence always felt overwhelming.
My eyes flickered over him before I quickly looked away.
"I'm not overthinking," I huffed. "It's my first party. I'm allowed to care."
He didn't respond immediately.
Which was strange.
When I looked back at him..
He was staring.
Not teasing.
Not smirking.
Just… staring.
My heartbeat picked up.
"W-What?" I asked, suddenly self-conscious.
He pushed himself off the wall and walked toward me slowly.
Too slowly.
Each step felt deliberate.
Dangerous.
"You're going out like that?" he asked quietly while his fingers slowly brushes on the strap of my dress.
I frowned. "What's wrong with it?"
He stopped right in front of me.
Close.
Way too close.
His gaze dropped slightly, scanning me from head to toe before returning to my eyes.
"There's going to be a lot of people there," he said.
His voice was calm.
But something about it felt… off.
Tense.
"So?" I crossed my arms. "It's a party. That's the point."
His jaw tightened.
"They're going to look at you."
My breath hitched slightly.
"And?" I challenged, even though my voice came out softer than I intended.
His eyes darkened.
"And I don't like that."
Silence.
For a second, I forgot how to breathe.
Then I scoffed, trying to brush it off.
"You don't get to decide that," I said, turning back toward the mirror. "You're not my-"
I didn't get to finish.
Suddenly
He grabbed my wrist.
My body stiffened as he pulled me back gently but firmly.
Not enough to hurt.
Just enough to stop me.
My back nearly brushed against his chest.
My breath caught.
"Sylus--"
"You really don't understand, do you?" he murmured near my ear.
His voice was lower now.
Rougher.
It sent a shiver down my spine.
"I've been watching you," he continued softly. "The way people look at you. The way they think."
His fingers loosened slightly around my wrist, but he didn't let go.
"It's not something I can just ignore."
My heart was racing now.
Fast.
Too fast.
I swallowed.
"Why do you even care so much?" I whispered.
There was a pause.
A dangerous one.
Then
His other hand came up, gently tilting my chin so I had no choice but to look at him.
His eyes locked onto mine.
Intense.
Unreadable.
"Because it's you."
My breath stopped.
For a moment
Everything felt still.
Too still.
Then suddenly-
A loud honk from outside broke the tension.
Laura.
I blinked rapidly, stepping back.
"I-I have to go," I said quickly, grabbing my bag.
Sylus didn't move.
Didn't stop me.
But his eyes followed me.
Carefully.
Silently.
As I reached the door, I hesitated.
"…You're still coming, right?" I asked softly.
A small smirk returned to his lips.
"Of course."
.
.
.
.
The party was already in full swing when we arrived.
Loud music.
Flashing lights.
Crowds of people dancing, laughing, shouting.
It was overwhelming.
Exciting.
And a little scary.
"THIS IS INSANE!" Laura shouted over the music, grabbing my arm and pulling me inside.
I laughed nervously, trying to keep up.
But even in the chaos, I could feel him.
Sylus.
Somewhere near.
Watching.
Always watching.
At first, everything was fine.
We danced.
We laughed.
Laura dragged me around to meet people I barely knew.
But then..
I started noticing it.
The stares.
Just like Sylus said.
Guys.
Watching.
Some subtle.
Some not.
One of them finally walked up to me.
"Hey," he said with a confident smile. "You're new here, right?"
I hesitated.
"Uh-yeah-"
Before I could finish-
A sudden chill ran down my spine.
The guy in front of me froze.
His expression shifted instantly.
From confident to uneasy.
"I… uh… never mind," he muttered, stepping back quickly before walking away.
I blinked in confusion.
"What just-"
"You're enjoying yourself?"
The voice came right beside my ear.
I jumped.
"Sylus?!"
I turned slightly, lowering my voice.
"What did you do?!"
"Nothing," he said calmly and innocently.
Too calmly.
I narrowed my eyes.
"You scared him, didn't you?"
He didn't answer.
Which was answer enough.
I crossed my arms.
"You can't just chase everyone away!"
"I can," he replied smoothly.
"And I will."
I opened my mouth to argue-
But then,
Another guy approached.
This one more bold.
"Hey," he said, stepping closer than the last one. "Wanna dance?"
Before I could respond-
Sylus moved.
Fast.
Suddenly, I felt his presence right behind me.
Close.
Too close.
His hand hovered near my waist
Not fully touching
But enough for me to feel the heat of it.
A warning.
A claim.
The guy in front of me stiffened.
His confident expression faltered.
"I… actually… gotta go," he said quickly, backing off.
I exhaled sharply.
"Sylus!"
"What?" he murmured lazily.
"You're impossible!"
He leaned closer, his lips near my ear again.
"And yet," he whispered, "you're still staying."
My heart skipped.
I hated how right he was.
And somewhere deep down
I knew this night was only getting started...