Caius' POV
The scent of smoke and blood filled the air.
The ground trembled beneath my feet as the cries of men and the roars of the beast echoed through the streets. The attack had come without warning, a monstrous creature emerging from the depths of a newly discovered dungeon—one that even the most skilled hunters had failed to anticipate.
The king wasted no time in issuing an emergency summons. Every knight and hunter capable of wielding a blade was ordered to fight. And as much as I wanted to ignore the call, I knew I couldn't. Not while I was still here.
Not while the king's leash was still wrapped around my neck.
Eloise stood before me, unwavering as ever. "I'm coming with you," she said firmly.
"No." My answer was immediate, my voice sharper than I intended.
She narrowed her eyes. "Caius—"
"You'll stay with the doctor."
Her frustration was clear, but I couldn't let her come.
Not this time.
Not when she had already risked too much.
Not when I had seen what using her power cost her.
I reached for her hand, holding it tightly as I softened my voice. "Eloise, I need you to trust me."
She searched my gaze, as if looking for some sign that I would change my mind. But when she found none, she exhaled sharply and pulled her hand away.
"You always do this," she muttered, crossing her arms. "You push me away like I'm some fragile thing."
I clenched my fists. "Because you are!"
Her eyes widened slightly at my outburst, but I couldn't stop.
"You think I don't notice what happens to you every time you use your power? The way you lose pieces of yourself?" My chest tightened. "I can't let you throw yourself into danger again, Eloise. Not for me."
She looked at me for a long moment before finally sighing. "Fine," she said, though her tone told me she wasn't happy about it. "I'll stay with the doctor."
Relief flooded through me, but it was short-lived.
Because even as I prepared to fight, I couldn't shake the feeling that something far worse was waiting for us.
And this time, I wasn't sure if I could protect her from it.
Eloise's POV
The moment Caius disappeared into the battlefield, I felt it—the pull of my power, the temptation to change fate itself.
I gritted my teeth and forced my hands into fists. No. I promised him I wouldn't.
But how could I just sit here?
The city shook with every step of the beast, its monstrous growls reverberating through the walls. I stood by the doctor's side, watching from the safety of the infirmary as knights and hunters charged toward the creature, their swords gleaming under the dimming sky.
And then there was Caius.
Even in the chaos, he was unmistakable—his silver hair catching the light, his movements precise, deadly. He moved like a man who had nothing to lose, and it terrified me.
Because he did have something to lose.
He had me.
A sharp pang struck my chest, and I pressed a hand to my heart, willing the feeling away. It had grown worse ever since I admitted it out loud—to the doctor, of all people. I loved him.
And he had no idea.
"Eloise," the doctor's voice broke through my thoughts, calm but firm. "Don't do anything reckless."
I tore my eyes away from the battle. "I won't," I said quickly. "I promised him."
The doctor studied me for a moment before nodding. "Good. Because I have a feeling he'll never forgive himself if something happens to you."
I swallowed hard. I knew that.
I knew that all too well.
So I stood there, watching the fight unfold, praying to whatever forces existed that Caius would return to me. Because if he didn't—
No. I refused to think like that.
I just had to trust him.
———
Eloise's POV
The moment I turned away from the battlefield, I felt it—an overwhelming presence, like a shadow looming over me.
"Lady Eloise."
The voice was calm, too calm for the chaos outside. I turned sharply, finding myself face to face with the King's Guardian—Luthor Valdane, the most feared knight under the king's command. His piercing gaze settled on me, unwavering, unreadable.
I stiffened. "What do you want?"
"The king has summoned you," he said, stepping forward. "You will come with me."
I took a step back instinctively. "No," I said firmly. "I'm not going anywhere."
Luthor tilted his head, his dark armor gleaming under the torchlight. "That was not a request."
I moved to escape, but he was faster. In an instant, his gloved hand clamped around my wrist, strong and unyielding.
"Let go of me!" I struggled, trying to pry myself free, but he barely flinched.
"You belong to the king now."
Something inside me snapped. No.
I swung my free arm at him, reaching for the dagger hidden beneath my cloak. But Luthor anticipated it—his other hand shot forward, gripping my wrist tightly before I could even unsheath it.
"You're strong," he noted, his voice still eerily calm. "But not strong enough."
Panic surged through me as I twisted in his grip. Outside, the sounds of the battle raged on—Caius was fighting, completely unaware of what was happening to me.
"Let. Me. Go." I bit out, shoving against him with all my strength.
Luthor sighed, almost disappointed. "Do not make this difficult."
I barely had time to react before I felt a sharp sting against my neck. A needle. The world spun violently as my vision blurred.
No...
I fought to keep my consciousness, but my limbs weakened, my strength fading like ink washing away in the rain. My knees buckled, and Luthor caught me with ease.
"The king is waiting," he murmured.
The last thing I saw was the battlefield in the distance, the flickering glow of fire and steel.
Caius... please...
And then—darkness.
Caius's POV
The battlefield was chaos. The beast from the dungeon towered over knights and hunters alike, its roar shaking the very ground beneath us. Blood and sweat clung to my skin as I drove my sword through another creature lunging toward me.
"Keep pushing forward!" one of the commanders shouted.
I was doing exactly that—until I felt it.
A sinking feeling in my gut. Like something was wrong.
I turned sharply, scanning the battlefield. Eloise. Where was she? She promised to stay put.
My grip tightened on my sword. Something's happened.
A knight came running toward me, out of breath, his armor dented from battle. "Caius! It's Eloise—she's gone."
Everything inside me went still.
"What do you mean gone?" My voice was sharp, barely containing the rage simmering beneath the surface.
"The king's guardian took her." He swallowed hard. "They left the city—he took her to the king."
I didn't wait to hear more. Without hesitation, I turned on my heel and sprinted toward my horse, ignoring the shouts behind me. The battle no longer mattered. The kingdom no longer mattered.
Only her.
The moment I mounted my horse, I kicked off at full speed, leaving the battlefield behind. If the king thought he could steal her from me—if he thought he could control her like some pawn in his twisted game—
He was gravely mistaken.