Naomi couldn't tell how much time passed while Lucian's words kept repeating in her head - Stay with me. Just thirty whole days. He'd spoken quietly, steady-like, yet underneath that calm was a rough edge, real and open, maybe more than he usually showed.
She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes, not with her pulse racing like that. Too near - he kept hold of her arms, just barely, like letting go scared him. Warmth rolled off him, his breath brushed her skin, yet the chaos inside drowned out the thunder beyond the glass.
She swallowed hard.
She spoke so softly it was barely audible.
"I… I'll stay."
Lucian froze in place.
She figured maybe he didn't catch what she said. His eyes locked on her, as if rethinking everything he believed before. The hold eased up, yet he stayed right there.
"You'll stay," he repeated, the words softer—dangerously soft. "For the full thirty days. No running. No disappearing. No fear."
Naomi pushed through her hesitation, finally looking up at him.
"I won't run."
He looked at her, quiet for a stretch. Like he noticed each shaky pause beneath her chest, each hard pull of air. Yet she held his eyes. She had no choice - things were past that now.
A change flickered across his face - small, yet clear. Not kindness; he didn't melt like that. Instead, a sharper focus appeared. A look that held ground.
Something final.
"Good," he murmured.
He finally moved away, yet the air stayed thick with him. Naomi took a breath - just barely.
Lucian let out a breath, steady - like someone fighting an inner battle.
"You said yes," he said. "That means something. To you… and to me."
The words made her uneasy.
"What does it mean to you?" she asked quietly.
A twitch tugged at his jawline.
"More than it should."
The shock hit her hard - she nearly stopped breathing. Because Lucian Storm wasn't the type to show weakness. No real talk ever came from him. Never in meetings. Never with rivals. Hardly even in private.
Yet she'd gone through it alongside him.
Even though just a tiny split, still genuine.
Just as she started to speak, he spun around suddenly, heading straight for the window - like stepping back was his only escape. City light spilled across him, shaping the edges of his face into dark silhouettes.
"You should get some rest," he said without looking at her. "Tomorrow will be difficult."
Her heart lurched.
"Difficult how?"
His lips jerked slightly - close to grinning, yet somehow short of it.
"You'll find out."
The reply felt safe - yet scary somehow. Lucian never warned people - he just stated what would happen. But Naomi started realizing something: each thing he taught had another layer hiding underneath. Not obvious. Something left unspoken.
Naomi nodded hesitantly.
"All right… I'll rest."
She headed for the door, thinking he'd stay near the window. But then, his words froze her mid-step.
"Naomi."
She turned.
He didn't look her way, yet his tone had dropped a bit.
"You said yes. Don't make me regret believing you."
Her breath caught.
"I won't."
Their gazes locked once more - his clouded with emotions she couldn't make sense of, hers shaky, caught between dread and a flicker that felt like wanting. After that, she stepped away quietly, shutting the door without sound.
Naomi didn't sleep.
She stayed there in the shadows, eyes on the ceiling, going over each moment they spoke. He moved closer, slow but sure. His face changed right after she agreed. A tiny crack in his tone - almost quiet - when he told her not to mess with his faith in her.
Why me?
What made him worry about her sticking around?
What made someone like Lucian Storm - ruthless, dreaded, out of reach - respond that way when she answered?
She didn't know.
Yet the fact pulsed inside her ribs - steady, urgent, alive.
She felt no remorse about accepting the offer.
Not at all.
Morning arrived, bright light slicing past the drapes. Naomi got ready fast - her head full of jitters but also grit. Since Lucial called her here for a month, no way was she cowering. Whatever he planned, she'd stand up to it.
She spotted him inside the quiet workout room, standing there ahead of her, jacket off, arms bare past the elbows, tape around his fists like someone getting ready to spar.
"You're late," he muttered.
She looked quickly at the time.
"It's… It's 6:29."
"Exactly."
He took a slow step toward her. "Training starts at 6:30. Being on time means being early."
Naomi blinked.
"That makes no sense."
"To me it does," he said simply. "And for the next thirty days, my rules are your rules."
His gaze met hers - sharp, firm, somehow brighter than before. Not dark. Not unsure. The old Lucian Storm was back, the one people used to dread.
Yet things felt a bit off somehow.
It came down to her.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
No warnings now.
Just a question.
She pulled her shoulders back.
"Yes."
He looked at her slowly, like he was sizing her up. His eyes moved carefully, weighing what they saw.
"Then today… We test your instincts."
"How?" she asked.
Lucian picked up a tiny remote, then pressed the button.
The room shifted.
No—transformed.
Metal shutters dropped fast along the sides.
Lights dimmed.
A siren blared.
Doors locked automatically.
Naomi stumbled back.
"What is this?"
"Your first real simulation," Lucian said. "A controlled hostage scenario."
Her jaw swung loose.
"A— a what?! Lucian, I'm not—"
"You will be."
His voice was calm. "The world doesn't wait for you to be ready. Danger arrives whether you prepare yourself or not."
Her heart pounded.
"Why would I ever face a hostage situation?! I'm not a spy—"
He stepped closer.
"You live in a world where you survive by obeying people stronger than you."
His tone got quieter - though just a bit.
"I am trying to change that."
Naomi looked his way, her breathing shaky.
Just then, it started - no time to reply.
Lights flashed.
Doors slammed.
Faint pops bounced off the walls.
A shadowy shape - just a robot rigged by software - inched closer to where she stood.
Naomi froze.
Lucian kept quiet instead of yelling.
He stayed hands-off instead of grabbing. She wasn't shoved, but left space between them.
He moved up behind her, near enough that she sensed him like a barrier pressing against her spine.
"Breathe," he murmured. "Listen. Trust yourself."
"I—I can't—"
"You can."
He brushed her shoulder softly - no grip, just a nudge forward.
"Look again."
Naomi made herself face the person wearing a mask.
Lucian spoke quietly.
"What do you see?"
"I…"
She swallowed.
"He's holding a weapon in his right hand."
"Good. What else?"
"He's limping on his left leg."
"Better."
Lucian stepped up next to her just then - same height, near enough she could sense the heat coming off him.
"Meaning what?"
"He… he'll be slower moving left."
Lucian grinned - tiny, careful, yet true. Not fake. Quiet. Honest. A rare look on his face. Still, it showed up.
"Exactly."
Naomi's breath steadied.
The fear stayed - but changed. Shifted shape. Turned into a clearer edge. A tighter focus.
Lucian moved away, his eyes on her.
"Now move."
She did.
She jumped to the left, guessing the dummy would turn slowly. When it swung past her, she wobbled - still stayed upright though.
Once the simulation stopped, everything in the room went back to how it was.
Naomi was panting.
Sweating.
Shaking with adrenaline.
Lucian moved toward her at a slow pace.
"You handled that right," he murmured, voice low.
She looked his way, breathing fast.
"I… I didn't think I could do that."
His look changed - just around her.
"That's why I'm here."
Her pulse jumped.
"You… want me to be strong."
He pushed a damp lock of hair off her face, not meaning to.
"No," he said. "I need you to be strong."
The words struck her - sudden, sharp, like a pulse out of sync.
Lucian saw his mistake - then pulled away fast.
Too late.
Her gaze caught what he really felt.
The gap between them changed position.
Maybe even disappeared.
Naomi swallowed.
"What happens now?"
Lucian looked at her, finally laying it all out without holding back.
"Now," he said, "your real training begins."
Then things shifted once more.