AT THE SAME TIME
XAVIER'S POINT OF VIEW:
The forest was laughing at him. Every branch that snagged his coat, every root that threatened to trip him, every shadow shifting just out of reach, it was mocking him. Xavier didn't belong here. He was a prince, a man of polished floors and marble halls, not tangled underbrush and the scent of damp earth. And yet, here he was.
Chasing a ghost. No one could find Isabella Everheart. Not the priests, not the knights, not the desperate nobles whispering about the 'missing priestess.' But Xavier was not like the others. He didn't search like a fool, calling her name through empty roads. He listened. He watched. He traced her path with quiet fascination, picking up on things the others missed. And then, after days of searching, he finally found a trail. A small footprint in the mud. A broken twig where someone had passed. The faintest hint of ash, as if someone had made a fire nearby. A slow smirk curled his lips.
"Found you."He smirked.
He followed the path deeper into the woods, his mind already racing. Isabella Everheart… what kind of woman are you? Isabella had run into the wild like it was her home. And Xavier found that… utterly fascinating. But fascination didn't stop traps.
The moment his foot hit something off, he realized his mistake. A sharp snap of tension as the ground vanishing under his feet. Pain exploded in his side as he hit the bottom of the pit. Dirt crumbled from the edge above, loose rocks scattering around him. He didn't need to check to know, his ankle was badly twisted.
"Tch." His smirk faded slightly as he pressed a hand to his ribs.
Above him, the sky was barely visible through the trees. The pit was deep, well hidden, and not made by accident. Someone had dug this. Suddenly a shadow moved at the edge. Xavier's golden eyes looked upward. A figure stood at the rim of the pit, shrouded in a dark cloak. Their hood was pulled low, a simple mask covering the lower half of their face. It was completely silent. A slow grin spread across Xavier's lips.
"Come to finish me off?" He said, his voice still smooth despite the dull ache in his body.
The stranger sighed. Not a menacing sound. Not a breath of excitement at seeing him wounded. But an exasperated sigh, like he was nothing more than a problem to deal with. Xavier froze. It was so small, so unimportant, but his chest tightened in a way he didn't quite understand. He should have felt irritated. He should have been annoyed by the dismissiveness. Instead, he found himself wanting to hear it again.
The masked woman didn't answer. Instead, she crouched down and without hesitation, dropped into the pit with him. Xavier tensed. His fingers curled toward his sword, his instincts screaming at him. But she didn't reach for a weapon. She knelt beside him and touched his injured ankle. He caught her wrist on instinct, grip tight.
"And what exactly do you think you're doing?"He asked.
"Helping you." She said simply.
Xavier's breath caught. Not because of what she said. Not even because of her calm voice. But because of her voice Not fawning. Not fearful. Not filled with reverence or admiration like so many others who spoke to him. She spoke to him like he was just some idiot who had gotten himself hurt.
"Oh?" His grip on her wrist loosened slightly, but he didn't let go. "And why would you do that?"
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she gently moved his foot, testing the damage. Her fingers were careful, practice. He should be watching her movements, analyzing, calculating. But instead, he was caught on the way her hood shifted slightly as she worked. The way her voice hummed softly, almost to herself, before she adjusted the bandage.
"Because I don't leave injured people behind." She said finally.
It wasn't love. Not yet. But it was something dangerous. Something that made his fingers twitch with the need to grab her before she disappeared. Something that made him want to say anything just to keep her talking.
"So kind." He murmured, watching her closely. "I suppose I should thank you, lovely stranger."
She froze. Not visibly. Not dramatically. But he felt it. A pause. A breath. A shift in the way she held herself.
"You don't like compliments?"He asked.
She ignored him, finishing the last knot on his bandage before standing. He tilted his head, golden eyes gleaming.
"Leaving already?"He asked.
'Yes."She said.
She turned, reaching for the edge of the pit to pull herself out. But before she did she glanced at him.
Just for a second. And Xavier, for the first time in his life, had no words. Because in that moment, watching the way her hood shadowed her face he realized he would chase this woman to the ends of the earth. Even if he didn't know her name. Even if he never saw her face. Even if she disappeared into the night, leaving behind nothing but the ghost of a voice that had already ruined him.
At the same evening, Isabella pressed her back against the tree trunk, barely holding in a sigh as she watched the prince from the shadows. Xavier Valentine. He stood in the middle of her temporary camp, his tall frame bathed in moonlight, golden eyes gleaming with amusement as he twirled her mask between his fingers. He found her little campsite. She should have disappeared the moment she saw him fall into that trap. She should not have saved him. But no, her soft heart had decided to help him instead of letting him suffer for a few more hours. And now?
Now the damn male lead was here, looking unfairly attractive even with dirt on his coat and an injured ankle. Isabella clenched her fists, trying to will away the tiny flicker of warmth in her chest. She wasn't supposed to like him. Sure, when she had played this game before dying, she had adored Xavier's romance route, the dangerous smirks, the teasing words, the way he slowly fell in love without even realizing it. But that was when he was pixels on a screen. Not a real man hunting her down like prey.
"You can't hide forever, you know." Xavier called out suddenly, voice laced with amusement.
Isabella rolled her eyes.
"Watch me, Your Highness."She thought.
Still, she couldn't resist teasing him just a little.
"I'm not hiding." She said smoothly, stepping just close enough for her voice to carry towards him.
His entire body tensed. Just for a moment. Then that infuriating smirk returned.
"Then why don't you come out?"He asked.
"Why don't you leave?"She asked.
A slow, rich chuckle.
"Clever."He said.
Ugh. He was enjoying this. Isabella could practically see his mind working, golden eyes scanning the darkness, waiting for a glimpse of her. He looked too damn pleased with himself. She should have ignored him. She should have run.
"You're persistent." She muttered.
"And you're running out of places to disappear to." He shot back.
That warmth in her chest flickered again. Oh, she hated how good he was at this. Too sharp. Too observant. Too damn charming for his own good.
"You're hurt." She pointed out instead, hoping to distract him.
Another grin.
"Are you worried about me, lovely stranger?"He grinned.
No, you idiot. But also, yes. Because Xavier might be the male lead, but this world was real now. If he died here, he wouldn't just respawn at the palace. He'd be gone. Isabella exhaled, forcing her voice to stay casual.
"Not particularly. Just surprised you made it this far."She said.
"Forget something?" He asked, holding up her mask.
Isabella stared at it. Then at his stupidly pleased expression. Oh, he thought he had won something. She had idea to throw a rock at him. She by accident left her mask there and now he is teasing her for it.
"Keep it. A souvenir."She said.
Something flashed in his eyes. Interest. Curiosity. Obsession.It sent dangerous shivers down her spine.
"How generous." He murmured, stepping closer. "Will you be giving me your name next?"
His voice was smooth. Too smooth. The kind of voice that made it very easy to fall into his trap. Which was exactly why she had to leave.
So Isabella laughed. Not because she wasn't affected. But because she was and it was dangerous.
"Not today, Your Highness."She said.
Then, before he could react she vanished into the forest, leaving nothing behind but the sound of her laughter in the cold night air. And as she ran, heart pounding, lips still curled in a smile she realized something dangerous. For all her annoyance she was happy she met him.