Ren jolted awake, breath uneven, his sheets tangled around his legs like bindings he couldn't shake off. His shirt clung to his skin with sweat, and for a moment, he could still feel Li Wei's hand pressed against his waist, his whisper ghosting against his ear.
Heart hammering, he sat up quickly, clutching the fabric over his shoulder where the serpent mark burned faintly beneath.
"It was just… a dream," he muttered, though his voice wavered with doubt. His body told a different story—tender aches where no one had touched him, warmth in his chest that refused to fade.
He tried to shake it off. Shower. Uniform. Bag. Anything to ground himself. Yet all through his morning routine, Li Wei's words gnawed at him: Each night, you'll sink deeper into me.
By the time Ren stepped into the school courtyard, the usual chatter of students felt muted, distant. He forced a polite smile when Hana waved, but his mind was elsewhere, trapped in the echo of golden eyes and burning chains.
"Ren."
The voice came from behind him, smooth and commanding. His entire body stiffened before he even turned.
There he was.
Li Wei stood in the center of the courtyard like he owned the place, the morning sun catching in his golden eyes. He was dressed in the same crisp uniform as the other students, though it looked sharper, more regal on him—like silk draped on a predator. A transfer student.
Ren's stomach dropped. "You—what are you doing here?" he hissed under his breath.
Li Wei's lips curved into that faint, knowing smile. He stepped closer, leaning just slightly so only Ren could hear. "Did you miss me, beloved? You seemed restless last night."
Ren's face burned, and he stumbled back a step. "Shut up—people will hear!"
"Let them." Li Wei's eyes glinted, low and dangerous. "They should know you are mine to protect."
Ren's throat went dry as students glanced curiously in their direction. Hana blinked from across the courtyard, whispering to her friend. A few others giggled, already sensing gossip.
Panic flared in Ren's chest, but Li Wei only tilted his head, amused by his fluster. His voice dropped to a husky whisper, deliberately low enough that Ren alone caught it:
"Last night, you trembled for me even in your sleep. Tell me… do you still feel it now?"
Ren's fingers clenched tight around the strap of his bag, his pulse thundering. His body betrayed him with a faint shiver, and Li Wei's smirk deepened, satisfied.
Ren hated him for it. He hated how his body answered before his mind could resist.
"Class is starting," Ren muttered, turning sharply away to escape.
But as he walked ahead, he could feel Li Wei's gaze burning into his back, a silent promise that their bond was far from hidden—whether Ren liked it or not.