Your gaze darted between Mattheo and Tom, who circled you like opposing planets, each with their own gravity.

Mattheo’s presence was solid, grounding. His hand hovered near yours, ready to pull you close at the first sign of danger. “You don’t have to use dark magic,” he said softly as he traced a protective sigil in the air. “Don’t let it get under your skin. Don’t let it call to you.”

Instead, Tom's presence was intoxicating in a way Mattheo’s wasn’t... it was dangerous, thrilling, and maddening. His fingers drifted lazily across the air, leaving faint trails of smoke that danced toward you like serpents. “Why fight it?” Tom’s voice purred. “You feel it, don’t you? That power… it’s beautiful. It’s alive. You don’t have to hide from it.”

Mattheo’s jaw tightened. “Tom, stop. Every second you spend near her, you put her in danger. Do you even care?”

Tom tilted his head. “Oh, I care. I care more than you could ever imagine. But I don’t want to cage her, Mattheo. I want her to see what she could be.” He flicked his hand, and suddenly the books around you rattled on their shelves, and a dark mist curled up at your feet, teasing, whispering promises of power that made your fingers tingle.

Mattheo moved faster than you expected and a shockwave of golden light shot from his palms, forming a barrier around you. You stumbled back against it, heart hammering, as the dark mist recoiled with a hiss. “I will not let you, ever, corrupt her,” he said. “You will not touch her soul. Not now, not ever.”

You swallowed hard, torn. Part of you wanted to reach for Tom, to feel the rush of dark energy that called to something buried deep inside. But Mattheo’s warmth, steady and unwavering, anchored you. “I… I can’t-” you whispered.

“Shh,” Mattheo murmured. “It’s okay. You’re safe. I’ll make sure of it.”

Tom laughed. “You can’t protect her forever, Mattheo. You know that. She’s drawn to the dark, just as much as she’s drawn to you. You’re only delaying the inevitable.”

“I don’t care about the inevitable,” Mattheo growled. “I care about right now. And right now, I will fight for her.”

Tom’s smirk faltered, just slightly, though his eyes never left yours. “You think you’re the only one who loves her?” he asked.

“I don’t care how you love her,” Mattheo replied. “I care that she doesn’t get h*rt. And I will burn myself to ashes before she does.”

You trembled, caught between two forces that both wanted you, both claimed you in their own way.