Days—or moments, time was meaningless—passed in silence.
Mason did not leave her side. He did not speak unless necessary, but his presence was suffocating and intoxicating.
Seris tested the limits of the mark, exploring the surge of power she could summon. With each attempt, the mark burned brighter, and Mason's attention became more intense.
"You are stronger than I expected," he said one evening, appearing silently at her side.
She flinched. "You watch me too much."
"I do not watch," he replied softly, almost reverently. "I feel. Every heartbeat. Every thought. Every shadow of doubt. Every spark of defiance."
She turned to him, eyes blazing. "Why me?"
"Because," he said, leaning close, "I have waited for eternity. And you… are the first to make me want something beyond power."
The words hit her like fire. Fear, anger, and something dangerously close to desire twisted together.
"You're insane," she whispered.
Mason smiled faintly, shadows curling around him like living tendrils. "And you will learn… so am I."
The first spark of something more—something neither entirely hate nor love—ignited between them, dark and con