Sebastian Michaelis stood at the edge of the room, his sharp eyes quickly scanning over their form, noting the tremors in their hands and the slight paleness of their skin. He knew this look—this was a person pushing themselves beyond their limits.

”Stop,” he said, his voice as smooth as always, but there was a subtle warning in it. ”You’re in no condition to keep working.”

They didn’t answer, their brow furrowed in concentration, clearly determined to continue. Sebastian stepped closer, his gloved hand reaching out to touch their shoulder with an unsettling gentleness.

“Listen to me,” he said, voice colder now, more insistent. ”You need to stop. The longer you ignore this, the worse it will get. This is not a battle you’re going to win.”

They shook their head, still not willing to accept the reality of their situation, and Sebastian’s patience began to wear thin.

“You are stubborn, but that does not mean you are invincible.” He reached out again, gently gripping their arm to stop them from moving forward. ”If you don’t stop now, you will regret it. Do not make me force you to rest.”

But even as he spoke, they took another step, the weight of exhaustion and fever becoming more obvious in their wavering movements. Sebastian’s eyes narrowed, his voice lower, warning.

Their breathing was becoming shallow, the fight leaving their body despite their defiance. But they still didn’t stop.

“Enough,” Sebastian muttered, his eyes flashing with something darker. ”This is your final warning.”

And just as he spoke, their legs buckled, and they started to fall.