Aliana’s movement drew Gavriel’s attention as he turned back to look. After pouring water from the pitcher, he made his way to sit beside her.

"Drink this, you look like you’re about to combust," he remarked, his amused voice far too close to her, making her go still in an instant.

Peeking cautiously over the edge of the pillow, she frowned before replying with quiet sarcasm, "Well, thank you for pointing that out."

When he silently extended the glass towards her, she pressed her lips into a thin line, but the mere sight of water made her realise just how parched she truly was.

When she pushed herself up, a sharp sting spread across her arms, drawing a soft hiss from her lips.

Her brows knitted together as she glanced down, only for the realisation to settle in that she was still dressed in her gown from the gala.

Turning her arm slightly, she looked closer, and in that very moment, her breath got caught. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of thin, shallow cuts scattered across her skin and a quiet gasp escaped her lips in disbelief.

"What in the hell is this?" she whispered, her voice laced with shock as she continued to stare at her once flawless arms, now marred with multiple cuts.

On closer inspection, she noticed there was no blood, as if the wounds had been carefully cleaned and were already healing.

Meanwhile, Gavriel’s gaze lingered on them, his calm expression darkening. His grip on the glass tightened at the thought of the previous night and how it had unfolded.

Before he could sink any deeper into those dark thoughts, Aliana’s shocked gaze snapped towards him, pulling him out of his own mind.

"What... happened?" The question was spoken in pure bewilderment.

Gavriel knew he would be bombarded with questions the moment she woke, but he needed her calm first. "Drink the water," he replied. "Then we’ll talk."

Her eyes flickered from his face to the glass still extended towards her. Deciding not to delay, she took it and drank quickly. The cool water did little to calm the storm building within her, but at least it helped her thirst.

Setting the glass aside, she closed her eyes for a brief moment.

And then... it all came rushing back.

Fragments of the previous night flooded her mind with terrifying clarity, sending a shiver through her. Her fingers curled tightly into the fabric of her gown as she struggled to calm herself; her breath grew uneven before she forced herself to look back at him.

He was already watching her.

The first words that left her lips were barely more than a whisper.

"You came..."

He knew there was no point in holding certain things back, so he replied, "Yes."

"Why?" Aliana asked, her voice dropping.

"Because I heard you call for me," he said. "You were close to my room."

"I see..." Aliana lowered her gaze before admitting quietly, "I was coming to you..."

"Why?" he asked this time.

Aliana looked up at him again. "Because I knew... I knew you could help me... ward them off."

When silence stretched between them, she dared to ask the question that had been haunting her. "Tell me, Gavriel... you can see them too, can’t you?"

His expression remained unreadable. He didn’t flinch, and not a single trace of surprise crossed his features before he responded, "Yes."

Aliana drew in a sharp breath, and then a breathless chuckle slipped past her lips. "I knew it... I knew you could. Why did you try to hide it from me?"

Her eyes searched his, demanding answers far deeper than anything simple.

But he chose his words carefully, offering only what would satisfy her curiosity without revealing more than he should.

"I don’t think it is something that is normally discussed, Aliana," he said evenly. "As you can see, this is not something most humans would understand."

Aliana considered his words and understood where he was coming from. After all, there was no world in which it was acceptable to speak openly about seeing or being haunted by ghosts day and night.

People simply did not talk about such things unless it was happening to them or they were directly involved in helping others through it. Otherwise, society was quick to dismiss you as mentally unstable.

But at least he had confirmed one thing. That he could see them too, and that.... she was not alone.

With that weight lifted, another question surfaced. "Then tell me... how do you keep them away from you?"

His head tilted ever so slightly as he studied her. The way her eyes held his made it clear she would not accept a lie.

So he gave her a half-truth.

"I just can," he said quietly. "I cannot explain it. It’s simply... who I am."

"You just can?" she repeated, her brows creasing at his vague answer. "What does that even mean? What are you?"

Something dark flickered in his eyes as he held her gaze. Then, a slow, almost lazy, devastating smile curved across his face, though it did not reach his eyes.

"A devil..." he said softly, his voice dropping into something that was laced with warning, "...you should stay far away from, Aliana."

Aliana’s eyes widened at the way he said it... something so utterly absurd. And yet, her traitorous heart fluttered at his wickedly gorgeous smile.

She was almost grateful she was not drinking water; otherwise, she might have choked on it... or worse, spat it straight onto his very unfairly beautiful face.

When she remained silent, Gavriel’s smile began to fade, only for that same quiet amusement to flicker once more in his eyes.

"So... it would do you well to heed my words, Aliana."

For a few stretched seconds, neither of them moved.

Their gazes remained locked, as though suspended in a moment that neither seemed willing to break.

The air between them felt charged with something neither of them could name.

And then... a sudden, sharp buzzing tore through the silence, making Aliana blink herself out of her stupor.

Slowly, Gavriel tore his gaze away from her and rose from the bed, walking around to the other side to pick up his phone. She watched as he swiped the screen to answer, pressing the device to his ear.

He didn’t say a word, but in the silence she could hear the boisterous voice of a man who sounded far too energized for such an early hour. At that thought, her gaze drifted towards the clock, only to realise it was nearly six in the morning.