The night was alive with chaos.
The ruins shook as steel clashed against fire, and the cries of hunters filled the air like a storm of broken glass. They moved like shadows, their poisoned blades slicing through the thick smoke, their eyes glowing with an unnatural green light. Every step they took echoed like death drawing closer.
Arjun's heart pounded in his chest, yet his veins surged with a fire he could no longer control. The mark on his wrist burned with crimson intensity, spiraling heat up his arm and across his chest. It wasn't just power—it was hunger, rage, and desire all tangled together.
Beside him, the stranger fought like a god born of fire. Each motion of his hand summoned a surge of crimson flames, burning through the attackers. But even amid the battle, his presence clung to Arjun like a second skin, suffocating, intoxicating, impossible to resist.
"Don't hold back," the man growled, his voice raw and commanding. His golden eyes cut through the smoke as if they were burning holes into Arjun's soul. He stepped closer, too close, fire swirling at his fingertips. "The power isn't your enemy, Arjun. Deny it, and it will destroy you. Accept it…" He leaned in, his lips nearly grazing Arjun's ear. "…accept me… and it will make you unstoppable."
Arjun shivered, his breath hitching despite the battle raging around them. A hunter lunged, blade aiming for his throat, but almost instinctively, Arjun flung out his hand. Fire exploded from his palm, striking the attacker in the chest and reducing him to ash before he could even scream.
The heat of it shocked him. His body trembled. "I—I didn't mean—"
The stranger caught his wrist, holding it firm, his own flames merging with Arjun's like two rivers colliding into one unstoppable force. "Stop apologizing for surviving," he whispered, dangerously close, his eyes burning with something wild. "This fire was always yours. I've only woken it."
More hunters swarmed in, surrounding them from every side. Their blades shimmered with venom, their movements swift as shadows. Yet somehow, Arjun and the stranger moved in perfect rhythm, like dancers in a deadly waltz. The man's hand would ignite, and Arjun's fire would follow. His step would shift, and Arjun's body mirrored without thought. Every motion, every strike, was bound together by something deeper than combat.
But the closer they fought, the harder it became to separate the heat of the flames from the heat between them.
Arjun could feel his body ache whenever the stranger brushed against him. His chest pressed against Arjun's back to shield him from a blade; his fingers grazed Arjun's waist to pull him into motion. Each touch left sparks that had nothing to do with fire, burning through Arjun's resolve.
One hunter broke through the circle, charging straight at Arjun with a blade glowing sickly green. Arjun froze, his body screaming at him to move, but the blade was already descending—
And then the stranger was there.
He caught the blade with his bare hand. Crimson fire exploded around his fist, melting steel like it was nothing more than wax. The hunter shrieked as the weapon dissolved into glowing liquid, then collapsed into ash at their feet.
Arjun's breath caught. He stared, wide-eyed, chest trembling. "How… how can you do that?"
The man turned, his smirk dangerous and unbearably alluring. He leaned closer, their faces only inches apart, smoke curling around them like a veil. "Because I don't fear the fire, Arjun. I am the fire."
Before Arjun could respond, another wave of hunters rushed them. Arjun lifted his hand again, his flame answering instinctively. A jet of crimson fire burst out, colliding with the attackers. Their screams tore through the night as their bodies crumbled into ash.
The stranger's arm wrapped around Arjun's waist, pulling him close, steadying him. His lips brushed the edge of Arjun's temple, sending shivers racing down his spine. "See?" he whispered, his voice low and intoxicating. "You burn brighter with me."
Arjun's knees weakened. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his body betraying him with every ragged breath. "You're… driving me insane."
The man chuckled, the sound deep and molten, vibrating through Arjun's chest. His golden eyes softened, but his hold only tightened. "Good," he murmured. "Then let's burn together."
The air shifted suddenly. Their marks pulsed in unison, crimson threads leaping between their skin like lightning. A violent surge ripped through them both, igniting the ruins in a blinding inferno. The hunters screamed as the flames swallowed them whole, the very ground trembling beneath the force of their combined power.
And then—silence.
The battlefield lay in ruins. Ash swirled in the smoky air. The last echo of the hunters' screams faded into the night.
Arjun gasped, his body trembling, his chest slick with sweat. He stumbled back against a cracked stone pillar, struggling to breathe. The fire still roared within him, but it wasn't fading. If anything, it pulsed harder with each passing second, aching for release, aching for… him.
The stranger stepped closer, his body only inches away, his hand still gripping Arjun's waist possessively. His eyes never left Arjun's, molten and unyielding.
"You saved me," Arjun whispered, his voice fragile.
The man tilted his head, lips brushing against Arjun's temple. "No, Arjun. You saved yourself. I only gave you the fire."
Their marks glowed brighter, throbbing in rhythm with their heartbeats. The pull between them was undeniable, electric, suffocating. Arjun wanted to push him away, to reject this dangerous closeness, but his body betrayed him. His hand rose, trembling, and pressed against the man's chest. His heartbeat was as wild as his own.
For the first time, Arjun let the truth slip. His voice was barely a whisper, but it was enough to shatter the silence. "I can't stay away from you."
The stranger's smirk softened into something that made Arjun's chest ache. Tender, but still burning with danger. His hand cupped Arjun's jaw, his thumb brushing lightly over his trembling lips.
"Then don't," he whispered.
The ruins stood in silence, but inside them, the fire raged on—untamed, unbroken, and more dangerous than ever...