"You're late."
Zoah's deep voice cut through the evening air.
A weary smile tugged at my lips as I slid into the seat opposite him.
"Sorry," I said. "The lecturer decided to hold us hostage with an endless class."
He gave a small nod.
"You've resumed school?"
"Yeah."
For a moment, silence settled between us.
"How have you been?" he asked, his gaze fixed on me.
The question made my chest tighten.
It had been two weeks since we returned from India. Two weeks since everything changed.
And for reasons I didn't want to examine too closely, I had been avoiding him.
Avoiding all of them.
Especially Zoah.
He had asked me out countless times during those two weeks. Every invitation had been met with a different excuse, a different reason to stay away.
Until today.
Today, I had finally run out of excuses.
Perhaps part of me was curious.
Curious about the dragon.
Curious about the god.
Curious about the mystery hidden behind those cold silver eyes.
"I'm fine," I replied. "But why do you keep asking me that ever since we came back from India?"
A teasing smile crossed my face.
"What's going on? Has the cold dragon finally gone soft?"
One of his brows lifted.
"I'm a god," he corrected.
His expression remained perfectly serious.
"A dragon god."
I blinked.
Then blinked again.
The words sounded so absurd that I almost laughed.
Almost.
"That's impossible."
"It isn't."
"No, I mean..." I shook my head. "It's unbelievable. A god?"
He nodded.
"I reside in Dragon Haven."
The way he said it sent an odd chill down my spine.
"A realm beyond your world. A different dimension."
"You mean Earth?"
"Yes."
The calm certainty in his voice made it impossible to dismiss his words as fantasy.
A strange silence stretched between us.
Then he asked quietly,
"Would you like to visit my home someday?"
The answer came instantly.
"No."
His expression didn't change, but something flickered in his eyes before vanishing.
"I see."
His voice was softer this time.
"You're not interested in adventure."
Adventure.
The word left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Once upon a time, I had loved adventures.
Craved them.
Chased them.
Now?
Now adventures seemed determined to kill me.
I had escaped death twice already.
Twice.
Who was to say there wouldn't be a third time?
And what if my luck finally ran out?
"Let's just say I don't want to end up as demon food."
Zoah frowned.
"Demons eat humans?"
The confusion in his voice almost made me laugh.
"Not their bodies."
A shiver crawled down my spine.
"They eat souls."
His gaze darkened slightly.
"Then you're fortunate."
"Why?"
"There are no demons in Dragon Haven."
His voice dropped lower.
"And if there were, I wouldn't allow them to harm you."
The sincerity in those words caught me off guard.
For a second, my heart stumbled.
I quickly looked away.
"Nice speech, Dragon God."
I forced out a laugh.
"But my answer is still no."
The farther I stayed from him, the safer I would be.
At least, that was what I kept telling myself.
"I suppose I can't change your mind."
Something in his tone made me glance back at him.
Sadness.
The realization startled me.
Was he... disappointed?
Why?
Because I rejected an invitation?
Or was it something more?
A strange guilt twisted inside me.
Maybe he wasn't used to hearing the word no.
Or maybe...
No.
I couldn't afford to think like that.
I'm sorry, Zoah.
But every instinct I have is screaming at me to stay away from you.
Because sooner or later...
You're going to hurt me.
Not intentionally.
But you will.
Trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in my chest, I forced a smile.
"Maybe you can take Violet instead."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Then curiosity got the better of me.
"Actually..." I leaned forward. "Who exactly is Violet?"
I already knew she wasn't human.
"Lucifer's daughter."
The answer was delivered so casually that my brain refused to process it.
I stared at him.
Then laughed.
Then realized he wasn't laughing.
My smile slowly disappeared.
"You're joking."
His expression remained blank.
"Can a cold being make jokes?"
I groaned.
"Anyone else? I'd say no."
A smile tugged at my lips despite myself.
"But you?"
His gaze met mine.
"The things we've been through..."
My voice softened.
"They changed you."
For the first time, something warm flickered in those ancient silver eyes.
"You're different now."
ZOAH'S POV
Different.
What did she mean by that?
I had lived for over two centuries.
In those centuries, I had endured countless trials, brutal training, and battles that would have shattered weaker beings. I had mastered nearly every sacred art known to Dragon Haven.
Through it all, I had remained the same.
Unmoved.
Unchanging.
Cold.
Why would that change now?
"You're mistaken," I said calmly. "I am still as cold as I have always been. And I always will be."
A soft laugh escaped her lips.
"After we returned to Nigeria, I met Uncle Charles and told him everything."
She looked away briefly, as if replaying the memories.
"Our entire journey."
Her smile widened slightly.
"He was shocked when he heard how many times you saved me."
I frowned.
"I merely did what was necessary. Had you died, who would have helped me obtain the remaining herbs?"
The excuse sounded reasonable.
At least, it should have.
"Natasha."
The single word struck like an arrow.
I stiffened.
"You still had Natasha," Silver continued quietly. "You could have escaped with her and left me behind."
Her eyes met mine.
"That's what cold people do."
Silence.
For the first time in a long while, I found myself without a response.
She waited.
Patiently.
Waiting for me to argue.
To prove her wrong.
But I couldn't.
Because deep down, I knew she wasn't wrong.
I had numerous opportunities to abandon her.
Yet I never did.
"Do you know why I agreed to go on that mission with you in the first place?"
I shook my head.
A sad smile appeared on her face.
"Because I was stupid."
The self-mockery in her voice unsettled me.
"I thought if I helped you gather the five sacred herbs, you would finally notice me."
Her fingers clenched tightly around the edge of the table.
"I thought if I stayed by your side long enough..."
Her voice trembled.
"...you might fall in love with me the way I had already fallen for you."
Something inside my chest tightened.
A strange, unfamiliar pressure.
"Silver"
She raised a hand, stopping me.
"No."
A bitter laugh escaped her.
"Let me finish."
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
"That's why I tolerated your coldness."
Another tear slid down her cheek.
"I kept making excuses for you."
My throat suddenly felt dry.
"Then you brought Natasha into our circle."
Her voice cracked.
"I hated how jealous I felt every time you mentioned Violet."
She laughed again, but there was no amusement in it.
Only pain.
"And then Natasha helped me realize the truth."
Tears were flowing freely now.
Each one felt strangely unbearable to watch.
"You don't want someone like me."
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"You only value strength."
I froze.
"You admire power."
She swallowed hard.
"You want someone ruthless enough to stand beside you."
Her gaze became distant.
"Someone like Violet."
The name lingered heavily between us.
"You knew from the beginning that nothing could ever happen between a dragon and a human."
Her voice trembled.
"Yet you still let me follow you."
Every word felt like a blade.
"You were willing to use my feelings to achieve your goal."
A sob escaped her lips.
"And I was foolish enough to let you."
Something snapped inside me.
Not anger toward her.
Anger toward myself.
For the first time since my parents' deaths centuries ago, emotion surged through me with terrifying force.
Watching her cry felt wrong.
Painfully wrong.
I wanted it to stop.
Immediately.
"I loved you, Zoah."
The words struck harder than any weapon.
Her eyes met mine.
Filled with heartbreak.
Filled with resignation.
"But this was never meant to be."
My chest tightened further.
"You were only ever meant for one woman."
A tear rolled down her cheek.
"Violet."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
"I hope you succeed."
She stood slowly.
"I hope you find the remaining herbs."
Another tear fell.
"I hope Violet is healed."
Her smile was heartbreaking.
"And when she is..."
She looked away.
"Love her."
My heart pounded violently.
"Treasure her."
Her voice nearly broke.
"Spend the rest of your life with her."
Then she took a step backward.
"And forget about me."
For the first time in centuries, I felt fear.
A strange fear.
The fear of losing something important before I understood its value.
"Silver."
She paused.
An idea surfaced.
One that seemed logical.
One that would erase her suffering.
"I can remove your memories."
The moment the words left my mouth, I knew they were wrong.
Her expression darkened.
A wounded laugh escaped her lips.
"You deprived me of your love."
The pain in her eyes was unbearable.
"And now you want to deprive me of my pain too?"
I opened my mouth.
No words came.
"Must you always be so cruel?"
The question pierced deeper than any blade.
Her eyes glistened with tears.
"I'm done with you, Zoah."
Then she turned and walked away.
I remained frozen as she disappeared through the hotel doors.
Gone.
Just like that.
The date I had carefully arranged for her lay in ruins.
The silence she left behind felt louder than any battlefield.
Slowly, I lowered my gaze.
Perhaps I had been selfish.
Perhaps bringing Natasha had been a mistake.
Perhaps constantly mentioning Violet had hurt her more than I realized.
No.
I wasn't regretting anything.
Was I?
My hands clenched into fists.
A dragon could not love a human.
It was forbidden.
Impossible.
Yet for some reason...
The thought of never seeing Silver again hurt more than I cared to admit.
And that frightened me far more than any enemy ever could.