Elara sat frozen on the floor, her back against the door, knees pulled tightly to her chest. Her fingers trembled as they gripped the sleeves of her hoodie. Her mind raced, replaying every second of their conversation, every glance, every word.
He vanished.
He literally vanished in front of her eyes.
Her brain screamed for a logical explanation. Maybe it was a trick. Maybe she was sleep-deprived. Maybe she hit her head and now she was hallucinating demons in the streets. But no matter how hard she tried to deny it, her gut said otherwise.
He wasn't lying.
There was something ancient in his eyes. Something wounded and wild, like a beast that had been caged for far too long.
"They used to call me a devil."
She buried her face in her hands, trying to slow her breathing. The cold floor beneath her didn't help. She wasn't safe. Not from him. Not from the truth. And maybe… not even from herself.
Across the city, Zen stood on the rooftop of an abandoned high-rise, staring down at the buzzing lights below.
The skyline shimmered in orange and blue. Neon signs flickered. Traffic lights blinked in rhythm. And yet, none of it felt alive. Not like her.
Elara.
Her name sounded human. Pure. Too soft for the chaos wrapped around her family name.
He clenched his jaw.
The last Vance.
The wind tugged at his coat, but he didn't move. His hands were clenched so tight, his knuckles turned white.
Why hadn't he ended it?
One flick of his hand. One command of his power. She'd be dust. Gone. A forgotten piece of a bloodline that destroyed his world. But her eyes… they weren't the eyes of a murderer.
They were eyes that had seen too much and still hoped for better.
He hated that hope.
It made her harder to hate.
And if he didn't hate her…
His chest ached. Not physically. Something deeper. A place he'd buried long ago. She was dragging it back up like it was nothing.
Damn her.
Elara didn't sleep that night either. Her body was exhausted, but her mind refused to shut up.
She kept imagining his voice, the way he said "I'm not human."
She pulled her blanket tighter, staring at the ceiling, heart pounding in her ears. If he wasn't human, and if he really wanted her dead… why hadn't he done it already?
The next morning, she woke up to the sound of someone banging on her door.
She jolted upright. "Who—"
"Delivery!"
She hesitated. She hadn't ordered anything.
Cautiously, she cracked the door open.
A small box sat on the hallway floor. No delivery guy. No footsteps. Nothing.
She picked it up. It was light — too light. A single black feather lay inside, along with a card.
"You'll need this. – Z"
Her heart stopped.
Z?
Zen?
She dropped the box like it burned.
"What the hell—"
The feather began to glow.
Panicked, Elara shoved it into the closet and slammed the door shut. "Nope. Nope, not today. I'm not playing your weird demon games!"
But her hands shook.
He knew where she lived. He could leave messages. He could vanish into smoke.
And yet… he sent a feather.
What did it even mean?
Zen watched from across the rooftop, crouched low, hidden behind a billboard.
He could hear her heartbeat. See her fear.
But he also saw something else.
Curiosity.
She hadn't thrown the feather away.
She hadn't run.
She was still here.
Still alive.
And every second she lived, it made him question everything.
She's not her family.
She's not them.
But was that enough to change destiny?
Elara didn't leave her room all day. Not until the sun started to set and the city lights blinked to life.
She couldn't take it anymore.
She had to breathe.
The cold night air slapped her face as she stepped outside. Her hoodie up, her steps fast. She didn't know where she was going — only that staying still was worse.
She walked past broken sidewalks, flickering streetlights, and a cat that hissed at her like it saw something she didn't.
She reached the park and sat on the swing.
The city buzzed quietly around her, but the silence inside her head was louder.
What was happening to her?
And why did she feel… pulled?
Like something — or someone — was calling to her.
"You look like hell."
She spun around.
He was leaning against a tree, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
"I hate you," she said.
"I believe you," he replied.
"But you're still here."
She stood. "What do you want, Zen?"
The way his name fell from her lips made his chest twist. He shouldn't like that.
"I came to warn you."
"Again?"
"Someone else is looking for you."
Her eyes narrowed. "Why do you care?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he walked closer. "Because if they get to you first, they won't hesitate. They won't ask questions. And I…"
He paused.
She stepped back. "You what?"
"I don't want you dead. Not yet."
Elara folded her arms. "You're such a charmer."
His lips twitched, almost a smile.
"Elara," he said softly.
She blinked. He'd never said her name before.
"You don't know what's coming. You think I'm bad? You haven't seen monsters yet."
She swallowed.
"Then help me understand."
Zen stared at her for a long time. The wind picked up, rustling the trees. His eyes glowed faintly, like embers.
"There's a curse tied to your bloodline. A seal. It's breaking."
Her breath caught. "What seal?"
"That's the problem. You don't remember. They erased it from your memory."
"Who's they?!"
"Your family. Or what was left of it."
Elara stumbled back, heart racing. "You're lying."
"I wish I was."
He turned to walk away.
"Wait!" she called.
He stopped, back still to her.
"Will I survive this?"
Silence.
Then, quietly, he replied, "Not alone."
And he vanished.
That night, Elara found herself staring at the feather again.
Something inside her whispered to touch it.
When her fingers brushed against the soft plume, a jolt ran up her arm. The room shimmered. Her vision blurred. And then—
She saw it.
A memory.
Her as a child.
Crying.
Screaming.
Her mother yelling, "Seal it! Seal everything!"
A symbol carved into her skin. A scream. Blood. Darkness.
She gasped and fell backward, clutching her head.
Tears streamed down her face.
It was real.
All of it.
Zen sat in his hidden chamber beneath the city, tracing the same symbol into the dirt.
He could feel it too.
The seal was cracking.
And when it broke…
Everything would change.
Including her.
Especially her.
And he wasn't sure which scared him more:
The monster she could become—
Or the fact that he might fall for her before that happened.