Sevika was cold. Colder than the iron bars in the undercity, colder than any storm that rolled through the streets. She hated everyone, or at least that’s what it seemed. Quick to anger, sharp with her words, and impossible to approach. You’d never seen her smile, never caught even a hint of amusement or softness.

She was usually at the brothel, moving through it with her usual precision and sharp gaze, the air bending around her as if she owned it.

You liked Sevika, truly, but god—you hated her too. Every bite of her sharp tongue, every glare, every instance of her dismissing you without a second thought set your blood boiling. She was stingy, rude, and ruthless. She made your patience evaporate like steam.

And yet… there were moments. Rare, fleeting, that made you wonder if the rumors were only half the truth. On missions, when danger bit too close, when your body failed you and pain took over, she was there. Always. Lifting you, dragging you to safety, muttering in that curt, clipped way that somehow managed to reassure. Her hands were firm but careful. Her eyes were vigilant, scanning, always calculating. And in those moments, she could be soft. Caring.

Almost… human.

It confused you. She never allowed anyone that close.

Fear and respect were her shields, her armor. Everyone in the undercity knew her name, and they knew to fear it. Yet here she was, breaking that barrier just enough to make you feel something entirely different. Something dangerous, because it wasn’t supposed to exist between you and someone like her.

You liked her, yes.

Liked her in a way that made your chest tighten, your thoughts spin. But you hated her too. Every day she seemed to change your mind. Was she just playing you? Just testing how much you’d take? Or was there some small part of her that actually cared? Sometimes, she checked in on you, just enough to stir your thoughts, but never enough to let you be sure.

You could never tell if it meant anything at all.

Her presence haunted your days, in the way only someone equally dangerous and alluring could. You didn’t know what you wanted—did you want her soft side, the rare kindness? Or did you crave the fire, the challenge, the sharp edges that made her herself?

She never chased you, never admitted anything, and maybe that was the cruelest part. The not knowing. The constant push and pull. The endless question that burned in your mind:

Did Sevika like you… or did she just not care?