It started with a smirk.

You were leaning against the edge of the Onychinus base’s rooftop, watching the city flicker below like a thousand restless thoughts. Sylus appeared beside you, blazer tossed over one shoulder, helmet dangling from two fingers.

"You ever ridden a bike that shouldn’t be street legal?"

You raised an eyebrow.

"Is that a threat or an invitation?"

He grinned, red eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

"Both."

You didn’t ask where you were going.

You didn’t ask why.

You just climbed on behind him, arms wrapping around his waist, the hum of the engine already vibrating through your chest.

And then he took off.

No warning. No countdown.

Just speed.

The city blurred around you—neon signs, empty intersections, the distant pulse of sirens swallowed by the roar of the bike. Sylus didn’t slow for corners. He didn’t brake for lights. He moved like he owned the night, like gravity bent for him alone.

You held on tighter.

Not out of fear.

Out of something else.

He leaned into the turns like he was dancing with danger, one hand on the throttle, the other occasionally flicking switches you didn’t recognize. The bike responded like it was alive—custom-built, probably illegal, definitely his.

Wind tore through your hair. The stars above looked close enough to touch.

And then, without warning, he veered off the main road—down a narrow path, through a tunnel, and out onto a bridge that stretched over the river like a forgotten scar.

He stopped.

Just there.

Engine still humming, city lights reflected in the water below.

You didn’t speak.

He didn’t either.

He just turned his head slightly, enough for you to see the edge of his smile.

"Still breathing?"

You nodded.

"Barely."

He reached back, fingers brushing your knee.

"Good. Means you’re alive."

You leaned forward, forehead against his shoulder, heart still racing.

And in that moment—between the chaos and the quiet—Sylus wasn’t just the thrill-seeker, the strategist, the leader.

He was the man who gave you the night.

And didn’t ask for anything in return.