"Erion!"
Evah shouted his name with her eyes shut tight, bracing for the worst.
The world dropped into silence.
The man's touch never came.
Only her heartbeat thundered in her ears—loud, uneven, terrified.
Slowly—hesitantly—she opened her eyes.
The stockroom was dim, lit only by a thin strip of light bleeding through the slightly open door. Dust drifted like static in the air. Her gaze lowered… and her breath hitched.
The man who had cornered her was no longer standing.
He lay crumpled at her feet, unconscious.
Relief struck first—so sudden she nearly swayed.
Confusion followed.
She stepped forward to check—
The light behind her vanished.
A hand wrapped around her wrist.
Her heart stopped. Panic shot up her spine—until the door slammed shut behind her and a low voice broke. Now she was out of that dark room, back on the end of the hallway to the restroom.
"Are you okay?"
A silhouette stepped into her sight. Tall. Calm. In control. His hand rose and cupped her face gently, turning it from side to side as if checking every inch of her.
And then she saw them—
the sharp, unmistakable blue eyes she had called for before she even realized it.
"…Erion?" she breathed.
He didn't reply. His gaze swept over her, head to toe, assessing her like someone who had done this a thousand times.
"Are you injured?"
Concern threaded through his voice—real concern.
"No."
She didn't even think before answering.
Her back pressed against the cold wood of the door. Her mind spun, fear and relief clashing until she could barely breathe.
Erion leaned closer, filling the small room with his presence—warm, steady, grounding.
"It's fine, Bunny," he murmured. "You're safe now."
His hand patted her head softly.
The small, gentle gesture jolted her back into herself.
But another jolt of fear came rushing next to her chest.
"What did you do to him?" she asked, turning Erion with a grasp. Fear twisted into worry—though she wasn't sure for whom.
Erion didn't answer right away.
Evah's heart spiked.
Did he—?
She grabbed his shirt, voice cracking. "Erion!"
He raised both hands in surrender.
"It's just a stun gun," he said, tone colder, edges sharpening. "And believe me—that's the kindest thing I can do if you want him alive."
The way he said it… chilled and honest… stripped away any remaining doubt.
"Should we check on him?" she whispered, turning toward the door.
Erion's palm slammed beside her head.
The wood vibrated.
A hairbreadth of a second—but she saw it.
That look.
Those flaming blue eyes.
That anger.
That danger.
A silent, absolute no.
Evah swallowed hard.
She remembered again:
The most dangerous man here wasn't the one on the floor.
"…I want to go home," she whispered.
The faint scent of cigar and alcohol clung to the air between them and then silence.
"Let's go," Erion said simply, his voice was softer melting all her fear.
"But… I need to tell my friends first." Her voice trembled as she tried to steady herself.
Their feet were so close she could feel his warmth, his breath. Erion shifted slightly, positioning himself like a shield between her and the hallway noise. A small gesture she highly appreciated.
At this moment, she is a mess.
"I can help you with that," he said—but his tone shifted. Controlled. Unreadable.Playful.
She opened her mouth to ask what he meant when a voice called:
"Evah?"
Small, hesitant—barely audible under the music and laughter spilling from the restroom.
"N—"
Erion covered her mouth in one smooth motion, fingers pinching her cheek just enough to shut her up—but not enough to hurt.
Hey—what are you doing?!
Erion didn't move. Didn't look at her.
He was utterly still, focused on something only he seemed to understand.
Evah wanted to complain… but stopped.
Maybe—maybe he was doing something important.
Footsteps suddenly rushed away—quick, excited—until they disappeared down the hall.
Only then did Erion let her go.
Evah shoved his hand off. "What was that for?"
Erion stretched lazily, as if the whole thing had nothing to do with him.
"Let's just say…" he smirked, "…you'll have a lot of questions to answer next time you see them."