The silence in the room felt alive, thick, and suffocating. Alina's eyes adjusted to the dim glow of the lights overhead, but even as her vision cleared, she knew nothing could prepare her for the man standing before her.
Daemon leaned casually against a sleek black desk, one hand braced on its surface. His posture was deceptively relaxed, but there was nothing casual about him. Every movement, every glance, carried precision. Control radiated from him as naturally as breath. He looked less like a man and more like a predator at ease in his territory—watchful, calculating, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Alina's stomach tightened as her gaze flicked over him. She told herself she was simply studying him, that it was caution guiding her attention. But the truth was harder to face: she was drawn to him. Drawn to the danger he embodied.
"You'll need to understand one thing," Daemon began, his voice low and smooth, cutting through the silence. The timbre of it slid over her like smoke, rich and commanding. "In my world, hesitation can be fatal. Decisions are made in seconds, and trust is a luxury few can afford."
The words weren't just a warning—they were a lesson. She could feel it in the weight of his tone, the way he held her gaze, forcing her to absorb every syllable.
Alina's pulse spiked. She shifted slightly in the chair but found no relief from the tension coiling in her chest. "And you…" she forced the words out, though her throat was dry. "You trust anyone?"
For a moment, silence stretched between them, heavy and dangerous. Then Daemon's lips curved, the faintest shadow of a smile tugging at his mouth. It wasn't warmth—it was acknowledgment.
"Rarely," he said, his voice quiet but unyielding. "But you—" he paused deliberately, letting the word hang in the air before continuing, "you're different."
The intensity in his eyes pinned her where she sat. She couldn't look away, couldn't breathe properly under the weight of that gaze.
"You've already stepped into fire," he added softly. "That counts for something."
The words sent a shiver down her spine. Fire. Again, that word. It lingered in her mind like a brand, both thrilling and terrifying. She wasn't sure if he was warning her, complimenting her, or claiming her. Maybe all three.
Her lips parted, but the air caught in her throat before she could form a proper reply. Every instinct screamed for caution, for distance. But her body betrayed her, leaning ever so slightly forward, drawn closer by an invisible thread she couldn't cut. Her pulse thundered in her ears, her breaths shallow.
"You don't understand," she murmured at last, almost to herself. "I don't even know what fire means in your world."
Daemon didn't flinch. Instead, his gaze softened—not weakly, but with a dangerous intimacy that made her chest tighten. "You will," he promised. His voice lowered, a whisper of steel. "Soon. And when you do… you'll either burn with it, or you'll be consumed."
Her breath caught. The words lodged deep, slicing through the fragile shield she tried to hold around herself. Burn with it, or be consumed. There was no safety in those options, no middle ground.
And yet… something inside her stirred. Reckless. Daring. A part of her she had always buried under polished smiles and careful choices. It whispered to her now, telling her that maybe the risk was worth it. That maybe the danger was the point.
The tension in the room coiled tighter. Alina could hear her own heartbeat, loud and insistent. She opened her mouth to say something—anything—but a sharp buzz shattered the moment.
Her phone vibrated against the table. The sound was small, ordinary, yet in the silence of Daemon's world, it felt jarring, intrusive.
Alina's stomach twisted as she reached for it, her fingers trembling. The screen glowed with a notification from an unknown number. Just one message.
They're watching.
The blood drained from her face. Her hands went cold.
"What…" her voice cracked, her throat suddenly dry. "Who is watching?"
The words trembled out of her before she could contain them.
Daemon's expression shifted instantly. The faint softness vanished, replaced by steel. His jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as he straightened from the desk. In an instant, the predator returned.
"People who don't like surprises," he said tersely. His voice had lost its calm rhythm; now it was sharp, edged with a darkness that sent chills racing across her skin. "And anyone who sees you here becomes a target."
He paused, his gaze cutting into her. "That includes you."
The weight of his words hit her like a blow. Her breath stuttered. She had known, deep down, that stepping into his world carried risks—but hearing it out loud, hearing the word target applied to her, made it real.
Her hands tightened around the phone as if gripping it could anchor her. Her body screamed to leave, to run, to escape the net she had stepped into. But her eyes stayed locked on Daemon's, searching, pleading.
She swallowed hard, her voice quiet, almost breaking. "Then I'll need your guidance," she said. "I can't do this alone."
The silence that followed was suffocating. His gaze lingered on her, unreadable. Then, slowly, his lips curved again—not a kind smile, but something darker. Almost predatory.
"No," he said at last. "You won't be alone."
Relief washed over her in a wave she hadn't expected. But before she could breathe properly, his words continued.
"But understand this." He leaned forward, bracing one hand on the desk as his face came closer to hers. His voice lowered, the cadence deliberate. "In my world, help always comes with a price."
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, the space between them charged with something volatile. Fear tangled with something more dangerous—desire. She hated it, and yet she couldn't deny it.
The coil of tension tightened until it felt unbearable.
Fire. Danger. Desire. All of it wrapped together, suffocating her, thrilling her.
And she realized with a jolt of clarity: the night had only just begun.
Her fingers twitched nervously against her phone, her body taut with the need to move, to breathe, to do something. But at the same time, a reckless thrill surged in her veins, unlike anything she had ever felt before.
She was standing in waters far deeper than she had ever known, dangerous currents swirling beneath the surface. And still, she stepped closer.