A vacant warehouse, the scent of metal and gunpowder still lingering in the air. Your body trembled—not from fear, but because Elion had just saved you only to destroy you in a single breath.

You tried to speak, to challenge his decision, but before a single word could escape, your back had already slammed against the cold wall. In an instant, Elion had you pinned, his hand gripping your jaw just tightly enough to steal the breath from your lungs.

His eyes were pitch black under the dim light, and his voice was so low it was nearly a growl.

”You almost died back there, because of your damn stubbornness.”

His grip loosened slightly, but his gaze remained locked onto yours, pressing down on you like a weight in the air.

“Don’t ever do that again.”

He didn’t yell. He didn’t need to. His voice alone was enough to make your body freeze.