Outside

For a moment, only the sound of rain could be heard.

“What did you say?” the man asked.

“I said, be my boyfriend,” Arya repeated, looking him straight in the eye.

He stared at her blankly.

No one had ever dared to meet his gaze. People trembled before him.

But here she was—looking at him with hope.

Something stirred within him.

His wolf moved.

A hint of surprise flashed through his eyes. His wolf only reacted to bloodshed. Why was it responding to this woman?

At that thought, his grip around her neck tightened. Just one move, and she would be dead.

That was how fragile human life was.

“Who are you?” he murmured, his voice dangerously low.

Arya felt the pressure on her neck, but she didn’t understand the danger.

So she smiled simply and replied, “Arya.”

Her name echoed in his mind like a soft melody.

But her smile annoyed him.

“Do you have a death wish?” he asked, an evil smirk playing on his lips.

Arya blinked.

“A death wish?” she repeated, as if tasting the words.

Then she shook her head.

“No. I just think you’re very beautiful.”

Daxiel went still.

Beautiful?

No one had ever used that word for him.

Fear. Respect. Terror.

Those were the only things people felt in his presence.

His grip loosened slightly.

Arya noticed immediately.

“So… will you?” she asked again, leaning closer, her eyes sparkling. “I’ve never had a boyfriend before.”

“…You won’t have one,” he replied flatly.

“Oh,” she said softly.

For a second, she looked disappointed.

Then—

“That’s fine,” she added quickly. “You can just be my first.”

Daxiel’s brows furrowed.

This girl was insane.

His gaze darkened.

“Let go.”

Arya glanced at her hands, still wrapped around his leg.

“Oh.”

She released him immediately and stood up, dusting her dress like nothing had happened.

Then she looked around.

Her eyes widened.

“So this is outside…” she whispered.

There was wonder in her voice.

Daxiel watched her silently.

Her reaction didn’t match the situation—nor the world.

“Where are you from, kid?” he asked.

Arya turned back to him with a smile.

“From inside.”

“…Inside what?”

She pointed behind her.

Daxiel followed her finger.

A hole in the wall.

His eyes narrowed. Why would anyone come out of a wall?

He stepped closer, his gaze cold and sharp.

Arya didn’t move or flinch.

Instead, she looked up at him like he was something fascinating.

“Who sent you?” he asked.

Arya blinked again.

“No one sent me,” she said simply. “I came out myself.”

His eyes searched hers for any hint of a lie, but there was none.

The rain fell harder between them as his intense gaze bore into her.

Just then, a car pulled up beside them.

A man leaned out of the window.

“Daxiel!”

They both turned at the same time.

Arya looked back at him.

So his name is Daxiel.

He glanced at her one last time before stepping into the car.

Arya immediately realized he was about to leave.

She had been gone from the mansion for a while now. They would soon notice she was missing.

She had to leave.

Now.

She stopped the door from closing.

“Take me with you,” she said, leaning into the car.

Daxiel didn’t even look at her.

“Drive,” he told the chauffeur.

He moved to shut the door—

But Arya grabbed it with all her strength and slipped inside, landing directly on his lap.

“Run. They’re coming,” she whispered, her face tense with fear.

She had spotted one of the guards from the mansion. 

His hand shot to her waist, gripping tightly.

“Get off,” he said, his voice dropping dangerously. 

A saint waved through his nose. The kind that made his wolf growled and he recognised it immediately. 

“No! They’ll catch me,” Arya said, shaking her head as she clung to him.

“That’s your problem, kid,” he replied coldly.

The man in the front seat spoke up.

“We should leave now, Daxiel. It’ll soon be midnight.”

Daxiel ran a hand through his hair. He stared at Arya for a while and his gaze darkened. 

“…Drive.”

The car started moving.

His hand loosened from her waist. Let her be for now, her end was coming soon.

He leaned back and closed his eyes, ignoring her completely, lost in thought.

Arya looked around the car, her eyes shining with curiosity.

Everything was black.

Strange.

New.

She had never been inside a car before.

The man in the front seat turned and smiled.

“Hello, miss.”

Arya looked at him.

She knew he was talking to her—there was no one else.

He flashed a bright smile.

He was handsome too.

Not as handsome as Daxiel, though.

She wondered if everyone outside was this beautiful.

“I’m Luciano,” he introduced himself.

Arya smiled back, unsure of what to say.

She had met very few people in her life.

So they simply stared at each other, smiling.

After a while, Arya grew tired and looked away.

Her gaze fell back on Daxiel.

His eyes were still closed.

Seeing him up close again made her chest flutter.

A soft smile formed on her lips.

He was so handsome.

She noticed his furrowed brows—it didn’t suit him.

So she reached out to smooth them.

His eyes snapped open.

Red.

Completely red.

He glared at her, an oppressive aura bursting from him.

But Arya wasn’t intimidated in the slightest.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked.

“To kill you,” he replied coldly.

Arya’s heart jumped.

She frowned.

“You’re scaring me.”

A dark smirk appeared on his lips.

“Then get off.”

“Never,” Arya said, shaking her head as she settled more comfortably on his lap.

Daxiel’s eyes narrowed.

She wasn’t afraid at all.

If only she knew—

He meant every word.

He was planning to feed her to the fish.

For the first time in years…

something had disrupted him.

And he didn’t like it.