Dylan's first instinct was to bolt. His second was to awkwardly offer snacks to his uninvited guests because he'd been raised to be polite, even to glowing-eyed strangers.
"Okay, look," Dylan started, nervously gesturing toward the two men, "I don't know who—or what—you are, but maybe we can settle this without destroying my Ikea furniture?"
Golden Eyes stepped closer, his gaze fixed on Dylan like he was a puzzle worth solving. "You're braver than I expected, considering you've just invited chaos into your life."
"I didn't *invite* anyone! You just…showed up."
Leather Jacket rolled his eyes, leaning against Dylan's desk like he owned the place. "You'd think a god would have better lines than that." He smirked, flashing sharp canines. "He's adorable when he's scared, though."
"I'm not scared," Dylan lied.
Both men laughed. It wasn't comforting.
Max's voice rang in Dylan's head: *Don't follow mysterious strangers. Don't engage with mysterious strangers. Just don't.*
"Well, adorable," Leather Jacket continued, "let's get one thing straight. I'm Kieran, and I don't share territory. So whatever he's selling you—" He jerked a thumb at Golden Eyes. "—ignore it."
Golden Eyes crossed his arms, his gold tattoos glowing faintly in irritation. "I see you're still clinging to the outdated notion of boundaries, Kieran. How quaint."
"Guys," Dylan interjected, his voice slightly shrill. "Not to interrupt this weird flex-off, but can someone *please* tell me what's going on?"
Golden Eyes' gaze softened—just slightly. "I'm Valen. And you, Dylan Parker, are far more important than you realize."
Dylan blinked. "Important? Like…winning-lottery-ticket important or, like, sacrificial-lamb important?"
Valen tilted his head. "Depends on the perspective."
"Not helping!" Dylan snapped, his nerves finally catching up to him. "Why me? I'm just—" He gestured to himself vaguely. "—a guy."
"That's what makes you dangerous," Kieran muttered, his red eyes narrowing. "You're human. Weak. Vulnerable. And yet, here you are, drawing the attention of beings who should know better."
"Uh, rude?" Dylan said, crossing his arms defensively.
Kieran's lips twitched in amusement, but Valen stepped forward, his expression more serious now. "You have something—something hidden, even from yourself. And that…is why you're being watched."
"Watched?" Dylan squeaked. "By *who*?"
Valen didn't answer. Neither did Kieran. Instead, they exchanged a look—one that screamed *we're not telling him yet.*
"Great," Dylan muttered. "Love being left out of my own life-or-death situations."
Before either of them could respond, a sudden knock at the door startled all three of them. Dylan's heart leaped into his throat.
"Dylan, it's me!" Max's muffled voice called. "Open up before I break in and lecture you about stranger danger!"
"Who's Max?" Kieran asked, his tone immediately suspicious.
"My best friend," Dylan hissed, already moving to the door.
Valen stepped into his path, golden tattoos flickering like warning lights. "Are you sure he's alone?"
"Uh, yeah? Why wouldn't he be?"
Valen and Kieran exchanged another loaded glance, but Dylan shoved past them and opened the door anyway. Max stood there, backpack slung over one shoulder and an exasperated look on his face.
"What took you so—" Max froze, his eyes darting past Dylan to the two impossibly perfect men standing in the middle of the room. "Oh, no. No, no, no. Dylan, *what did you do?*"
"Nothing!" Dylan said, throwing up his hands. "They just *appeared!*"
Max groaned. "I knew it. You're like a walking supernatural Tinder profile, and you don't even realize it."
"What does that even mean?" Dylan asked, but Max was already marching into the room, pointing accusingly at Valen and Kieran.
"Listen, I don't care if you're vampires, demons, or whatever sparkly nonsense is trending these days. Dylan is off-limits. Go find someone else to terrorize."
Kieran raised an eyebrow. "Bold for someone so…breakable."
Max didn't flinch, but Dylan noticed the faint tremor in his hand.
Valen's voice cut through the tension like silk. "We're not here to hurt him. Not yet, anyway."
"*Not yet*?!" Max yelped.
"Okay!" Dylan clapped his hands loudly, stepping between his best friend and the supernatural powerhouses. "Maybe we should all take a breath. Have a snack. Pretend this whole thing isn't spiraling into complete insanity?"
Kieran smirked. "I like him. He's got guts."
"That's debatable," Max muttered under his breath.
Valen's expression softened again as he looked at Dylan. "You're at a crossroads, Dylan. Whether you like it or not, your life will change. The question is, will you survive the consequences?"
The words sent a chill down Dylan's spine. He didn't have time to respond before Valen turned, a ripple of golden light enveloping him as he vanished.
Kieran, still leaning against the desk, gave Dylan a lazy smile. "Guess I'll stick around. Someone's gotta make sure you don't get yourself killed."
"Why would you even care?" Dylan asked, thoroughly exasperated.
Kieran winked. "Let's just say, you're…interesting."
And with that, he too disappeared, leaving Dylan and Max standing in stunned silence.
"Dylan," Max finally said, voice trembling slightly, "you need to stop being so stupidly cute. It's getting dangerous."
Dylan groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I hate my life."
---
### End