Chapter 25

*Orion*

 I had already planned everything with Shane—he would walk her out for me. I needed to apologize for what happened the other time, and I had been waiting for her quietly, a rose flower hidden behind my back. I had been staring at her long before she even came closer to me. Her scent… I couldn’t get enough of it. It was addictive and luscious, the kind that could make a man lose control.

 She finally moved closer, and I stepped toward her too.

 “You… again,” she said, her voice very low.

 “Yes, me again. As we are destined forever,” I replied, taking her hand. She looked at me like she couldn’t quite comprehend what I meant.

 I brought out the rose from behind my back. “Here, for you.”

 Her face lit up instantly as she accepted it carefully, a soft smile almost forming on her lips.

 “Did you like it?” I asked, watching her.

 “Yes… thank you,” she muttered.

 Thank goodness I thought of the flower.

 “Would you mind if I show you a place?” I asked, though my gaze subconsciously drifted to her lips.

 No… a kiss shouldn’t happen now. I had to control the demon inside me.

 She nodded, and I took her hand, leading her toward my secret garden.

*Hazel*

 I had made up my mind to avoid him at all costs, yet here I was, standing close to him. He was simply too hard to resist.

 “I won’t hurt you or do anything against your will, Hazel,” he said, and somehow, his words comforted me. Maybe I could use this moment to know him better, to understand why I was so drawn to him… and maybe then, learn how to avoid him.

 The flower smelled wonderful. It reminded me of Ariana—she loved roses so much. Adrian used to pluck them while I decorated her room after school.

 He stopped in front of a small wooden gate and opened it for me. When I stepped into the garden, my breath caught. Even at night, the place looked magical—flowers shimmering in different colors under the moonlight.

 “It smells so nice,” I whispered.

 “My mother used to own this garden,” he said with a quiet chuckle. “As hard as maintaining it was, she never allowed any servant to help. She did all the work herself.”

 We both sat on the grass, the flowers glowing softly around us. With a snap of his fingers, the entire garden lit up.

 My mouth dropped open. “How did you do that?”

 “Focus on the energy around you,” he explained. “There’s already a spark of light, which makes it easier. Let out a little of your power into that spark… and boom. It works.”

 “That’s so cool,” I said, my curiosity rising. “So you have a lot of power within you.”

 “Yes,” he replied quietly, “but it’s dark… and very powerful. It could ruin the world, destroy existence. Sometimes it’s hard to control, and that can ruin you too. It all started when I was five. I burned down an entire building. My mother tried to stop me, tried to conceal the power, but I struck her in the stomach and made her infertile. That’s when my father’s hatred for me grew. I haven’t seen him since. I grew up in the woods—that’s where I learned to control and wield my power.”

 I had always thought I carried the most painful childhood… until I heard his.

 Five years old. Alone. Living in the woods. Carrying guilt and his father’s hatred.

 Without thinking, I took his hand and leaned against his shoulder—no pull, no confusion, just understanding.

 “You did well,” I whispered, gently touching his hair.