"Not human."
Lena didn't realise she'd stopped breathing until her chest started to ache.
For a moment, the world around her felt distant—like everything had pulled back, leaving just the two of them standing there in that dim, quiet room.
She let out a slow breath, shaking her head once.
"No," she said, almost automatically. "No, that's not—"
She stopped.
Because the words didn't come out the way she wanted them to.
They sounded weak.
Unconvincing.
And worse—some part of her wasn't entirely sure anymore.
"This isn't real," she tried again, but softer this time. "People don't just… say things like that and expect it to be true."
"I'm not asking you to believe it," he said.
His voice hadn't changed.
Still calm. Still steady.
Like this wasn't a conversation that needed convincing.
"I'm telling you what it is."
Lena let out a quiet, disbelieving laugh, running a hand through her hair. "Right. Of course you are."
She turned slightly, putting a bit of distance between them, like that might help her think.
"Let me guess," she muttered. "Next you're going to tell me there's a whole hidden world I've never seen before, and somehow I've just been dropped right into the middle of it."
He didn't answer.
The silence stretched just long enough to make her stomach drop.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
"I don't joke about things like this."
"Yeah, you've made that very clear."
She exhaled sharply, pacing a few steps across the room before stopping again.
"Okay. Fine," she said, turning back to face him. "Let's say—just for one second—that I believe you. That you're not human, and that whatever I signed wasn't just a normal contract."
Her arms folded tightly across her chest.
"Then explain this part to me," she continued. "Why me?"
It came out more quietly than she expected.
Not angry.
Just… confused.
Because that was the part that didn't make sense.
Out of everyone in the world—
Why her?
He watched her for a moment before answering.
"You were available."
Lena blinked.
"…That's it?"
"Yes."
A dry laugh slipped out of her. "Wow. That's—honestly worse than I expected."
"You needed something," he continued. "And I offered it."
"That's not how this works."
"It is where I'm concerned."
Her jaw tightened again, but she didn't argue.
Because arguing didn't seem to change anything.
And that was starting to frustrate her more than anything else.
"Okay," she said slowly. "So let's say I'm… 'bound' to you." The word felt strange in her mouth. "What does that actually mean?"
"You're connected to me."
"In what way?"
His gaze didn't shift.
"In ways you're about to understand."
She let out a breath. "You really like saying that, don't you?"
He didn't respond.
Of course he didn't.
Lena opened her mouth to push further—
But then something shifted.
It was subtle at first.
A faint pull somewhere in her chest.
She frowned, pressing a hand lightly against it. "…What is that?"
The sensation deepened.
Not painful.
Just… there.
Like something had quietly switched on inside her.
Her breath slowed without her meaning it to.
"What is happening?"
"It's the bond," he said.
She shook her head immediately. "No, it's not. That's not a real thing."
"It is now."
The feeling spread slightly, warm and strange, settling under her ribs like it belonged there.
Lena swallowed.
"This doesn't make any sense."
"It doesn't need to."
Her hand dropped slowly back to her side.
The sensation didn't go away.
If anything, it became more noticeable the longer she stood there.
Like it was reacting to something.
Or someone.
Her eyes lifted to him again.
And that was when she noticed it.
The closer she stood to him—
The stronger it felt.
Her stomach tightened.
"…Why does it feel like that?" she asked quietly.
"Because you're close."
The answer came too easily.
Too simply.
"And if I walk away?"
"You already tried."
Her jaw clenched.
Right.
The door.
The pain.
A faint flicker of unease passed through her again.
"This is insane," she murmured.
"Yes."
She blinked at him. "You're just… agreeing with that now?"
"I don't need it to make sense to you," he said. "I just need you to understand it's real."
Her gaze dropped for a second, her thoughts racing.
None of this fit into anything she knew.
None of it should be possible.
And yet—
She could still feel it.
That quiet, steady presence in her chest.
It hadn't faded.
It hadn't disappeared.
If anything, it felt… settled.
Like it had decided to stay.
"…I don't want this," she said finally.
The words came out softer than she intended.
More honest.
More real.
For the first time, he didn't answer immediately.
When she looked up, his expression hadn't changed—but something about the silence felt different.
"You don't have to want it," he said at last.
"That's not comforting."
"It wasn't meant to be."
Lena let out a slow breath, looking away from him.
Of course it wasn't.
Nothing about this was.
"Then what am I supposed to do?" she asked.
It wasn't a challenge this time.
It wasn't anger.
It was a real question.
Because right now—
She had no idea what came next.
"You stay," he said.
She gave a short, humorless laugh. "You really don't offer a lot of options, do you?"
"No."
She nodded slowly, more to herself than to him.
"Yeah… I'm starting to notice that."
The room fell quiet again.
But this time, it didn't feel empty.
It felt… heavy.
Full of something she didn't understand yet.
Lena looked at him one last time.
At the calm certainty in his expression.
At the way he stood there like none of this was unusual.
And something in her chest tightened again—
Not from the bond.
Not entirely.
From the realization.
This wasn't temporary.
This wasn't something she could walk away from later.
This was real.
And whether she understood it or not—
She was already part of it.