The room was dim—lit only by a single green crystal lantern that cast eerie shadows on the walls. You were bound, wrists bruised from struggling, sitting on a dusty mattress with nothing but the sound of dripping water and heavy footsteps echoing in the distance. Then, the door creaked open.

Ein entered slowly, shutting it behind him with a calm finality that sent chills down your spine. His coat was damp with snow, his breath fogging up in the cold. But his eyes—those bright, calculating eyes—never left you.

“They’re looking for you,” he said softly, almost amused. “Aphmau, Aaron, all of them. So loyal. So predictable.” He knelt in front of you, gently brushing a strand of hair from your face, his touch feather-light but terrifying. “But they don’t understand. You belong with me. You always have.”

You tried to move back, to speak, but he quickly cupped your face in both hands, voice lowering into a whisper, “You’re safe now. I won’t let them take you away, not again. I’ll protect you… even if it means hurting every last one of them.”

You trembled as he pressed his forehead to yours, the scent of snow, blood, and potion clinging to him. Outside, faint echoes of voices called your name—Aphmau’s, Katelyn’s, Aaron’s—but Ein only smiled.

“Let them come,” he whispered, pulling a dagger from his coat and placing it beside him on the floor. “They’ll learn that love isn’t something you ask for… it’s something you take.”