"You have always been the one," Abyzou said softly.
"In every life… in every story… it has always been you."
Theo's chest tightened.
There was no escape.
No way out.
So he did the only thing he could—
He closed his eyes.
Maybe if I don't see it… it will disappear, he thought desperately.
Maybe this is just a dream…
But it didn't end.
Abyzou's hand remained against his cheek.
At first, it was cold—unnatural.
But slowly… that coldness faded.
In its place came warmth.
A strange, pulsing warmth that seeped into Theo's skin and settled deep in his chest.
His breath faltered.
Abyzou's fingers moved slightly, brushing along the edge of Theo's jaw—gentle, almost hesitant, as if memorizing him.
"You are the only light in my darkness," Abyzou murmured.
His voice was low, filled with something heavy… something that sounded dangerously close to longing.
"The one thing that has kept me from fading… even after centuries."
Theo's heart pounded wildly.
Fear was still there.
But something else had begun to surface beneath it—
Something unfamiliar.
Something he didn't understand.
Abyzou stepped closer.
Too close.
Theo could feel his presence like heat against his skin.
The world around them—the library, the shadows, the flickering light—began to blur, fading into the background.
All that remained—
Was him.
And Abyzou.
"If you let me…" Abyzou whispered near his ear, his voice softer now, almost fragile.
"I will burn with you… and for you."
Theo's breath caught.
For a moment—
He didn't move.
Didn't think.
Couldn't.
Because something inside him responded to those words…
Something that felt older than this moment. Older than him.
Abyzou's hand slipped lightly to Theo's waist, steadying him as if he might fall.
The touch wasn't forceful.
It was grounding.
Real.
Too real.
Theo's fingers curled slightly at his sides, his body tense, caught between instinct and something pulling him closer.
His heart was no longer racing from fear alone.
And that terrified him even more.
For a brief second—
He leaned into it.
Into the warmth.
Into the presence.
Into him.
Then—
A sharp sensation broke through.
A sudden, stinging touch at his neck.
Theo gasped softly, his eyes flying open.
Reality crashed back.
No… this isn't a dream.
The feeling was real.
Everything was real.
His breathing turned uneven as he pulled back slightly, his mind spinning.
This is wrong…
This is too real…
Abyzou didn't step away.
His gaze remained fixed on Theo—intense, unreadable, filled with something far deeper than simple desire.
One hand still rested lightly against Theo's neck, holding him in place—not forcefully, but with quiet certainty.
Like he already belonged there.
Theo's lips parted slightly, his thoughts tangled beyond reason.
Between fear.
Between confusion.
Between something he couldn't name.
And in that fragile, suspended moment—
Right on the edge of something neither of them could take back—
Everything hung in silence.
Waiting.
---
To be continued…