Cael said he wanted to explore the forest.
Rowan, though surprised, simply smiled and agreed. "Alright. Just the two of us then," he said gently, brushing Cael's hair behind his ear. "But don't stray too far."
With a flick of his hand, Rowan ordered the knights to keep their distance — stationed quietly along the outer edge. He gave strict instructions: Follow me immediately if we took longer than it should be. They close off every path leading out. No soul was allowed near.
Cael didn't say a word about the precaution. He just walked ahead quietly, letting the gentle rustle of leaves and chirping birds fill the silence.
The forest was breathtaking — dappled sunlight spilled through the trees, painting golden patterns on the soft, mossy ground. Wildflowers peeked out between rocks. A faint breeze stirred the leaves above like a lullaby from the earth itself.
"This place," Rowan said beside him, "used to be a noble hunting ground during summer. Generations of lords rode through these woods for sport."
Cael listened, nodding faintly as he walked, his mind far away.
He scanned the undergrowth, the sloping roots, the narrow paths twisted with vines. Looking. Watching. Measuring.
And then he saw it — a narrow bend, shaded and sloping, hidden behind thick brush. If he were to run, that might be the only chance. It was just a passing thought, a flicker of rebellion...
He didn't notice the rusty, jagged trap half-buried beneath leaves.
Not until Rowan's body slammed into him — hard.
The sharp snap of metal rang out like a thunderclap.
Cael spun around—his heart stopped.
Rowan was no longer standing.
He was on the ground, his leg crushed inside the jagged steel jaws of a rusted bear trap, blood pouring between the teeth like spilled ink. The chain was anchored into the ground, thick and heavy, designed to hold down even the strongest beasts. The metal links groaned under Rowan's weight as he grit his teeth, eyes wide not from pain—but relief.
"You're not hurt," he breathed, like that was all that mattered.
Cael dropped beside him in horror. "You—why—why didn't you let me step on it?!"
Rowan managed through clenched teeth, sweat beading on his brow. "And I'd rather step on it a hundred times than let it touch you."
He tried to pull his leg free, but the spikes dug deeper, grinding against bone. Cael saw the blood now—thick, dark, and pouring too fast. His hands trembled as he reached toward the trap, trying to pry it open. It wouldn't budge.
"I need to get help—"
"No." Rowan grabbed his wrist, voice low and commanding. "Stay. I'm fine.Don't leave me"
"You're not fine, Rowan, look at you—!"
Rowan was smiling. Through the pain. Through the blood.
Because Cael was safe. Because Cael was here.
That was all he ever wanted.That's enough.
Cael's heart twisted. He looked at Rowan's pale face, his trembling fingers, and the crimson soaking through his trousers like a spreading death mark. He'd been caught. For him.
The forest was quiet—too quiet. The only sounds were Rowan's labored breaths and the faint rattle of the iron chain as he fought against the trap.
Cael's feet were frozen in place. A single thought crossed his mind. A thought he shouldn't have had.
His eyes trembled, fixed on the blood-soaked metal gripping Rowan's leg... and the man's eyes—wild, terrified—not for himself, but for him.
"Cael," Rowan whispered, voice strained. "Don't."
Cael took a step back.
"Don't you dare."
Rowan's voice rose, sharp and breaking, his body lunging forward despite the trap tearing deeper into his flesh. Blood sprayed. A sound caught in his throat—not from pain, but panic. Real panic.
Because he saw it—the way Cael looked at the trees. At the path. At freedom.
"Cael, don't you dare run from me!" Rowan roared, voice shattering through the forest like a crack of thunder.
But Cael only whispered, "I'm sorry."
Rowan slammed his fist into the ground, eyes glowing with fury and heartbreak.
"You think this'll save me? You think leaving will save either of us?" he growled, dragging at the chain until his hands bled. "You selfish idiot—I don't need saving. I need you."
Cael's heart clenched. But he turned.
He had to.
Even if it shattered Rowan. Even if it shattered him.
Because Rowan would never let go.
And this... this was the only moment Cael would ever get.
He ran.
"Cael!"
Rowan's roar tore through the forest like thunder cracking open the sky.
His voice shook with fury—no, desperation—as he slammed his bloody fists against the ground, dragging at the iron trap like a rabid animal. The rusty teeth dug deeper into his leg, slicing flesh to the bone, but he didn't care.
"COME BACK!"
His voice cracked.
But Cael didn't.
He kept running.
Rowan thrashed, jerking the chain with everything he had. He screamed in pain. He screamed in rage. He screamed in a way no human should.
"Don't you DARE leave me, Cael—Don't you fucking DARE!"
His hands slipped, raw and trembling. He reached for the dagger at his belt, eyes wild.
"If I cut it off—if I cut my damn leg off, I can still follow—" he muttered, frantic, delirious.
"...I'll do it. I'll cut it—"
But he saw Cael's getting farther and farther.
"COME BACK!—don't you fucking dare, Cael!"
He roared. Furious. Terrified. The kind of voice that cracked trees and souls alike.
But Cael didn't stop.
Rowan's fury faltered. His strength failed. And when he saw Cael's figure getting smaller, swallowed by trees —
his voice broke.
"...Cael," he gasped, choking.
"No... please—don't go."
The threatening growl collapsed into something devastated. He dropped forward, hands dragging himself along the ground as far as the chain would let him.
"Cael, please!" he begged.
"Don't leave me—don't leave me again!"
His voice wasn't loud anymore. It was shaking. Pathetic. Rain soaked through his clothes, mixing with the dirt and blood as he dragged his body like a dying animal.
"Please," he whimpered. "I'm sorry... I'll do anything—just don't go..."
"Don't leave me all alone again..."
But Cael didn't look back.
And Rowan—Rowan started sobbing.
Sobbing like a broken child.
His hands trembled as they gripped the chain, trying again to pry it open with bloody fingers. His breaths came in gasps, wet and cracked.
"I-I'll be better," he choked out. "I'll change. I'll let you be free—just don't go now. Not like this. Not again."
" but you were my everythings Cael...You are all I need"
No one answered.
Just the rain.
And the disappearing sound of Cael's steps.
Rowan collapsed.
But Cael was already gone.
Vanished between the trees.
The silence swallowed everything.
The rain began.
Soft at first, like a cruel lullaby. Then heavier, soaking his hair, his bloodstained clothes, the dirt beneath him.
Rowan stared ahead, frozen.
His eyes shimmered—not with rage now, but unbearable heartbreak.
Tears mixed with rain as he collapsed onto his knees, body slumped forward like something had died inside him.
"Why..."
His voice was so soft, so broken.
"Why am I so disgusting that you can't even stand being with me...?"
"I gave you everything... I—I loved you more than anyone else ever could. I destroyed myself for you. I protected you. I would've given you the world."
His hands clenched into the dirt.
"Am I that repulsive, Cael...?"
He choked. "Is my love that terrifying...?"
No answer. Only rain.
And the soft clink of the chain still holding him down.
Slowly, something inside him shifted.
From sorrow...
To silence.
Then to something worse.
His breath slowed. His eyes glazed over—not empty, but glassy with dark resolve.
"...You really ran."
A pause. His lips curled—not into a smile, but something colder.
"You really thought I'd let you go."
He chuckled. Low. Bitter.
Then dark.
"I see. Then I have no choice."
"I'll find you, Cael. No matter where you hide. No matter who you run to."
His head tilted, and his voice dropped into something too calm—too terrifying.
"When I get you back... I'll break your legs myself."
"Not because I hate you—but Because I love you so much to ever let you go again."
A tear slid down his cheek.
"I'll chain you to me, Cael. I'll make sure you'll never need to run again. I'll give you everything, even if it means destroying what's left of you."
He smiled through the tears.
Pitiful. Frightening. Unhinged.
"Even if you hate me forever... you'll still be mine."
The storm grew heavier.
And in that clearing, soaked in rain and blood and madness—
Rowan sat alone.
Still trapped.
He sat with his head lowered, completely drained, like a shell of a man. His heart was shattered, and the pain of Cael leaving him left him utterly broken.
He looked less like a cruel and heartless duke, But more like a boy who'd just lost his entire world.