didn't sleep that night. How could I?
Every time I closed my eyes, I felt it again. that cold breath against my neck. That voice inside my head.
I woke you up.
I shot up in bed, my chest rising and falling too fast. My room was quiet, untouched, normal.
Too normal. For a second, I almost convinced myself it was all in my head.
A bad dream, an overreaction. Nothing more.
Then the burning started. Arh....
I clutched my neck, stumbling out of bed as pain flared beneath my skin not sharp, not sudden… but slow and spreading, like something was carving itself into me from the inside out. "What is happening to me…? What is happening to me…?
My voice barely came out. I rushed to the mirror.
At first nothing, Just my reflection staring back at me. Pale wide eyed. Afraid. But then… It moved, Not me. The mark.
A faint, dark pattern beneath my skin began to shift, like ink swirling in water. Lines twisted and pulled together, forming something ancient… something alive.
No… no, no, no…
I stumbled back, shaking my head, but I couldn't look away. Because I recognized it. Not from memory. From instinct. A symbol of ownership. A claim.
And somehow… I knew one thing with terrifying certainty:
This mark wasn't supposed to be visible.
impossible, a voice said from behind me. I froze
Slowly too slowly I turned.He was there.
Leaning casually against my bedroom wall like he had every right to be in my space.
Tall. Unmoving. Watching me like I was the only thing in the world worth noticing.
My breath hitched.
you My voice came out weaker than I wanted. "You were at the party
A faint smile touched his lips but it didn't reach his eyes. I was His gaze dropped to my neck. And for the first time… His expression changed. Not amusement, Not control.Shock
That shouldn't be happening," he said quietly. A strange, dangerous silence filled the room.
My fear twisted into something sharper.
What did you do to me?" I demanded, my hands curling into fists. "What is this?"
In an instant, he was in front of me.Too fast.
No footsteps. No warning,Just there.
my back hit the wall before I even realized I'd moved.
you're asking the wrong question," he murmured, his voice lower now… heavier.
His fingers hovered just above the mark but didn't touch.
Like he was afraid to.
What you should be asking is…
His eyes locked onto mine dark, intense, unreadable.
Why are you still alive?"My heart stopped.What?
His jaw tightened.I marked you," he said. "That should have killed you.
The room spinn.Killed me?
But it didn't," he continued, almost to himself. Which means,
His gaze sharpened, something dangerous flickering beneath the surface.
You're not as human as you think.
Silence crashed between us.
I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to stay steady.
You're insane.
But even as I said it… I didn't believe it.
Because deep down
something inside me was… responding.
Awakening.Hungry
His lips curved slightly again, like he could hear every thought I was trying to hide.Oh, I was hoping you'd say that.
He leaned closer just enough for his voice to brush against my skin.
Denial did makes this part so much more interesting.My pulse pounded.What part?A pause
Then, softly
The part where i realize,his fingers finally touched the mark.Fire exploded through my veins.
I gasped, my knees nearly giving out as something surged inside me raw, electric, alive. Not pain this time… something else. Something deeper. Stronger.
My vision flickered.
For a split second, the room wasn't my room anymore.
Shadows stretched along the walls, twisting into shapes that didn't belong. Whispers echoes dozens of voices overlapping, calling, warning… welcoming.
I grabbed onto his arm without thinking.
Whatwhat is happening
You feel it," he said, watching me closely now. Not with control… but with something dangerously close to certainty.
No make it stop
It's already started."
The mark pulsed under his touch, and I felt it answer him.Not me,Him
My breath caught as a terrifying realization sank in.This isn't just a mark… I whispered,his gaze darkened.No,he said,It's a bond.My stomach d
My stomach dropped.
No I shook my head weakly. "No, I didn't choose this
You didn't have to."
His voice was quiet now. Certain.
Because whatever you are…
His fingers pressed slightly harder against the mark, sending another wave through me stronger this time, undeniable.
you were made for it.
And for the first time since this began
I wasn't just afraid of him.
I was afraid of myself.