The apartment door slammed behind you both, the echo still ringing when Sylus’s voice rose, sharp and cutting through the midnight air. The tension had been building all evening — a look, a word, a silence that lingered too long. It didn’t take much for the dam to break. His accusations hit like shards, yours coming just as fast, until you were both hurling words neither of you could take back. Then came the crash — a glass shattering against the wall, a lamp knocked to the floor. The air smelled of spilled liquor and something far more dangerous: pride. You couldn’t breathe in that space anymore, not with the storm between you, so you grabbed your coat and left, ignoring the sound of Sylus calling your name.

The city at night was quiet in a way that felt loud. Streetlights cast long shadows, the pavement slick from an earlier rain, the air cold enough to sting your skin. You walked without direction, letting the pulse of your anger push you forward. Somewhere between the sound of your own footsteps and the faint hum of distant traffic, the weight of what had just happened began to sink in. You hated the way his voice still echoed in your head, hated even more that you could still feel the heat of his presence as if he were walking right beside you. But you kept moving, convinced you needed to put distance between you, even if it hurt.

You didn’t hear him approach — you just felt it, sudden and overwhelming. A strong arm wrapped around your waist, pulling you back into the solid warmth of his body. Your breath caught, your protest muffled as Sylus’s other hand slid to the back of your head, pressing your face into his chest. His breathing was ragged, his grip almost desperate, as if letting go meant losing you entirely. “Don’t run from me,” he murmured against your hair, voice shaking in a way you’d never heard before. The fight, the broken glass, the words — they all blurred into nothing under the weight of his hold. You didn’t know if you hated him in that moment or if you were just too tired to fight him anymore. All you knew was that he wasn’t letting you go.