Ryou froze mid-step at headquarters as a searing heat flared in his chest. It wasn't pain, but the unmistakable signal from his mark on Sera. He closed his eyes, focusing on the connection, and felt her fear and disorientation like a knife twisting in his gut.
They've found her.
He didn't hesitate. Barking a sharp order to Selva to handle the interrogations in his absence, he vanished into the shadows, moving faster than he ever had before. His mind raced, anger and dread intertwining with every step. He had left her to take care of business, trusting that she would be safe with Nathan during the day. But it seemed those busybodies were more relentless than he'd anticipated.
The moment Ryou arrived, the street darkened, shadows rippling and coiling around him. His golden eyes burned with fury as he stepped into the fray.
"Step away from her," he growled, his voice sharp and commanding, carrying the weight of a storm about to break. It sent chills down everyone's spine.
The agents barely had time to react before he was on them. In a blur of motion, Ryou incapacitated the tall man with a single strike. The stocky woman released Nathan to charge at him, but Ryou intercepted her effortlessly, slamming her into the side of the van with enough force to dent the metal.
The elderly woman tried to flee, but Ryou's voice froze her in her tracks. "You're not going anywhere."
Nathan scrambled to his feet, rushing to Sera's side. His hands trembled as he helped her sit up, her head lolling weakly against him. "Sera? Are you okay?" he asked, panic lacing his voice.
Sera blinked up at him, her vision hazy. "Nathan..." she murmured, her voice barely audible. She couldn't fight the fog clouding her senses, and her strength ebbed with every second.
"Ryou..." she whispered weakly. She could barely keep her eyes open, but she could hear his voice.
Ryou crouched beside her, his expression softening as he checked her pulse. His touch was careful, almost reverent, his golden eyes scanning her lulled face. "I'm here," he murmured, his voice low, as if the words were meant to reassure them both. Sera's chest tightened, a mix of relief and pain flooding her as his voice and touch soothed her fear.
"You're fine. It's just a sedative," Ryou murmured, more to himself than to her. His hand lingered for a moment before withdrawing.
Sera's body slumped against Nathan as she lost consciousness. Her head fell heavily against his chest, her breaths shallow and weak. Nathan held her tightly, his heart pounding as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.
"Who are you?" Nathan's voice wavered, barely above a whisper, but there was an undeniable edge of fear that broke through.
Ryou didn't answer right away. His gaze lingered on Sera, his golden eyes dark and unreadable. The air between them thickened with unspoken words, an unshakable tension that made Nathan's skin crawl.
"Someone you don't need to know," he said, his words deliberate, yet laced with an underlying menace.
He rose to his full height, casting an imposing shadow over Nathan.
"Don't hurt her," Ryou continued, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous timbre. "Be a good boy and keep her safe. That's all you need to worry about."
Nathan's pulse quickened as Ryou's words hit him with an unspoken threat. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, a primal instinct warning him of the danger standing before him.
Ryou's golden eyes shifted sharply to Nathan one last time. "Now bring her inside," the tone of his voice was commanding, though tinged with something deeper—a hidden hurt from seeing the two of them together. "I'll handle the rest."
---
Sera stirred awake, the dim light of her new apartment casting soft shadows across the room. Her head felt heavy, her limbs sluggish as she struggled to open her eyes. A faint warmth lingered at her side, and when her vision finally cleared, she saw Nathan sitting in a chair beside her bed, his hand gently holding hers.
His thumb traced small circles on the back of her hand, the motion soothing yet filled with unspoken worry. He looked up the moment her eyes fluttered open, relief flooding his face.
"Sera... you awake?" he asked softly, leaning forward.
"Mn," she murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
"How do you feel?"
"I'm fine," she replied, her voice groggy. "Just a little dizzy."
Nathan hesitated, his grip on her hand tightening slightly. He glanced at her face, his brows furrowing before he finally spoke. "Sera," he began, his tone hesitant, "who is that man?"
Sera's eyes widened slightly at his question, and a flicker of worry crossed her face. "You saw him?" she asked, her voice quieter now, a hint of unease lacing her words.
Nathan nodded, watching her closely. He didn't miss the way her shoulders stiffened or how her gaze flickered away from his. It was enough to confirm his suspicion. "He's the mansion's owner, isn't he?"
Sera didn't answer. She couldn't. But her silence spoke volumes.
"Sera," Nathan pressed, his voice softer now but no less insistent. "Who is he? How do you know someone like that? Isn't he dangerous?"
Her lips parted, but no words came out. She looked down, her hand trembling slightly in his grasp. After a long pause, she finally said, "He's the one who's been protecting me all this time, Nate. He's not dangerous."
Nathan's frown deepened as he processed her words. "Protecting you? From what?"
Sera slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, brushing her hair away from her face as she steadied herself. She met his gaze then, her expression filled with something Nathan couldn't quite place—desperation, fear, and something deeper, more vulnerable. She reached out, her hands closing over Nathan's, her touch deliberate and her expression earnest.
"Nate," she said softly, her voice tinged with desperation. "Can you promise me something? Please don't tell anyone about him. Promise me, okay?"
Nathan blinked in surprise. The way she looked at him, her eyes filled with a quiet plea, made his heart ache. He had never seen this side of Sera before—so fragile, so vulnerable.
"Sera," he began, his voice cracking slightly, "do you... like him?"
The question struck both of them, leaving a heavy silence in its wake. For Nathan, it felt like a knife twisting in his chest, a confirmation of something he'd feared all along. For Sera, it was a wound laid bare, one she couldn't hide.
She lowered her head, her hair falling over her face like a curtain, hiding the conflict in her eyes. "He... is not interested in me," she said, her voice hollow and faint, as if the words themselves were too heavy to bear. "I'm just someone he's obligated to protect."
Nathan clenched his jaw, frustration and sadness swirling within him. "What? Why is he protecting you then?"
"I don't know," Sera replied with a small shrug, her lips curving into a faint, fragile smile. "Maybe I have a hidden superpower or something."
Her attempt at humor was thin and brittle, but she forced it anyway, as if trying to shield herself from the truth. Nathan, however, felt his heart break at the sight of it—a smile that was more for her own reassurance than his.
"Didn't I tell you that you're an angel? Maybe that's true," Nathan said, his grin soft and warm, though his eyes betrayed the pain he was trying to hide.
Sera blinked at him, her fragile smile softening into something more genuine.
"And don't worry," Nathan continued, his voice gaining strength. "I won't tell anyone about him. I promise. I'm on your side, always." He squeezed her hands gently, his touch steady. "You can depend on me... Even if I'm not as strong as he is, I can... I can... uh…"
He trailed off, his cheeks reddening as he stumbled over his words. "I can make you smile, maybe?"
His bashful tone, the way his voice grew quieter with each word, drew a soft laugh from Sera—a sound that felt light and warm despite the lingering weight in her chest.
"You sure can," she said, her voice lighter now, carrying a warmth as she looked at him.
Nathan's face lit up at her chuckle, his smile widening as if her laughter was all the reassurance he needed. He held her hands tighter, silently vowing to be the person who could bring light back into her world, even if it wasn't enough to fill the shadows that lingered around her.
From the shadows outside her window, Ryou stood still, his golden eyes fixed on the scene before him. His mind churned with the weight of what had just happened—the danger Sera had faced.
It was all because of me.
Those agents... The memory of their attack flashing in his mind. They were after me, he thought bitterly. And she... she got caught in the middle of it.
His fists tightened at his sides as his gaze remained on her. Nathan sat beside her, holding her hands, his voice soft and steady. Then she smiled—fragile, but genuine. And when she chuckled at something Nathan said, the sound cut through Ryou like a blade.
I could never make her smile like that.
The thought was suffocating. All he'd brought her was pain and danger. He had sworn to protect her, yet all he had done was drag her deeper into the shadows of his world.
Nathan squeezed her hands, his face bright with an ease Ryou could never offer. That simple gesture—the closeness, the intimacy—felt like the final crack in the wall Ryou had built around his heart.
He stepped back, his golden eyes dimming as he let the shadows swallow him whole. Her laughter echoed in his mind, a quiet reminder of everything he could never give her.
She's safer without me. Happier without me.
And with that, Ryou disappeared into the night, leaving behind the one thing he wanted most but could never have.