The battlefield was silent now, but silence did not mean peace.
Ashes swirled in the night air, glowing faintly like dying embers. The ruins around them smoldered, walls cracked and half-melted from the firestorm that had raged moments ago. The air smelled of smoke and iron, the kind of silence that comes after destruction, when the world itself is holding its breath.
Arjun leaned heavily against the stone pillar, his chest heaving. His body felt drained, yet unbearably alive. Every nerve was still singing, every breath burning with the fire that refused to fade. His mark glowed faintly on his wrist, pulsing like a heartbeat—no, not his heartbeat. Theirs.
His gaze flickered toward the stranger, who stood only a few feet away, his back turned as he surveyed the ruins. His figure was sharp against the glowing embers, the flames reflecting in his golden eyes. His shirt was torn from the battle, exposing lines of muscle across his chest, the glow of his own mark burning faintly over his collarbone.
Arjun looked away too quickly, his cheeks burning. His heart refused to calm down. Every time he closed his eyes, he could still feel the stranger's touch—the way his arm had wrapped around his waist, the way his lips had brushed his temple, the way his voice had whispered don't.
It wasn't just battle. It wasn't just survival. It was something else. Something he didn't dare name.
The man finally turned. His eyes locked on Arjun instantly, sharp, unrelenting. For a moment, Arjun felt pinned by that gaze, as though the fire itself had taken form and demanded he submit.
"You're trembling," the stranger said softly, stepping closer. His voice was lower now, lacking the sharp command from the battlefield. Still, it carried that dangerous edge, like fire contained in glass—ready to shatter at any second.
"I'm fine," Arjun muttered, forcing his body upright. His legs wobbled, betraying him.
The man was at his side before he could blink, one strong arm slipping around his waist. The heat of his body seeped straight into Arjun's skin, undoing whatever fragile control he still had.
"Fine?" the man whispered, lips brushing dangerously close to his ear. "Your pulse is racing. Your body is burning. That mark isn't calming down."
Arjun's chest tightened. He wanted to push him away, to break this unbearable closeness. But the stranger's hand was already on his wrist, thumb stroking over the glowing mark, and the sensation nearly buckled his knees.
"It reacts to me," the man murmured, eyes half-lidded as if he was savoring the connection. "You react to me."
Arjun gasped softly, jerking his hand back. "Stop… Stop saying things like that." His voice cracked, raw with frustration. "You're making it sound like I don't have a choice."
The stranger's smile curved slowly, dangerously. "Do you?"
The silence stretched between them. Arjun's breath hitched, his body screaming in protest at the distance he'd forced. Because deep down, he knew the truth—he didn't want distance. Not really. Every part of him was aching for the warmth, for the closeness, for the fire that felt more alive than anything else.
"I don't even know your name," Arjun whispered, voice trembling.
The man tilted his head, stepping close again, close enough that their breaths mingled. His golden eyes burned like molten metal. "Names are for mortals. Do you think calling me something will change what I am to you?"
Arjun swallowed hard. His throat was dry. "Then… what are you to me?"
The man leaned in until his lips almost touched Arjun's. So close. Too close. His hand rose, cupping Arjun's jaw with a gentleness that betrayed the fire burning beneath.
"I'm the fire in your veins," he whispered. "The shadow in your light. The hunger you can't escape. Call me your enemy, your savior, your damnation… but you will never call me nothing."
Arjun's knees weakened. He wanted to scream, to shove him away, to run—but instead, his body leaned in, traitorous, desperate for more. His lips parted, breath catching as if his heart was begging him to close the last inch of space between them.
But the stranger stopped. His thumb brushed Arjun's lower lip, soft but scorching, before he pulled back just enough to deny what Arjun almost gave in to.
The absence hurt.
Arjun's hand shot out, gripping his wrist. His voice broke as he whispered, "Why are you doing this to me?"
The stranger's smirk softened into something almost tender, almost human. He stepped closer again, until his forehead pressed lightly against Arjun's. His voice dropped, rough and vulnerable.
"Because I can't stay away from you either."
The admission hung in the air like a spark waiting to ignite. Arjun's heart slammed against his chest. His breath trembled. His body leaned forward before his mind could stop him, the fire between them burning too hot, too dangerous.
The ruins stood silent, but in that fragile closeness, it wasn't the world that felt like it might break—it was Arjun himself...