Noah's body trembled, caught between this world and whatever shadowy place lay beyond. His skin, once warm and full of defiant fire, had gone pale—paler than Elias had ever seen. His breathing was shallow, chest rising in fragile, uneven intervals as the poison coursed through him, clawing for his heart.
"Stay with me," Elias whispered, voice cracking. He clutched Noah's hand to his chest as if by sheer will he could pull him back from death. Blood—thick, red, and hot—seeped from the arrow wound and soaked the sheets beneath Noah. The metallic tang of it filled the air, nearly overpowering Elias' senses. His fangs ached with the need, the hunger—but he pushed it down. This wasn't about him. Not now.
He'd seen many people die. He'd let many die. But not Noah. Never Noah.
Elias stood, breath ragged, fury burning like acid in his throat. He would tear the assassin apart with his bare hands. But not yet. First, he had to find the antidote—if it even existed.
---
The underground market buzzed with danger. Creatures lurked in the shadows, some cloaked in glamour, others proudly displaying their monstrous forms. Elias stormed through the alleys with blood staining his coat and desperation etched into every step.
"Where is she?" he growled at the first merchant he saw—a wrinkled hag with milky eyes and a necklace made of tiny bones.
She hissed, pointing toward the tent at the far end of the lane. "The bloodwitch. If anyone has what you seek, it's her."
Elias didn't thank her. He didn't have the time.
Inside the tent, incense coiled through the air like snakes. The bloodwitch was waiting.
"I know why you've come, Elias Vireon," she said without looking up. Her fingers moved over a bowl filled with crimson liquid. "He's dying."
"Give me the cure. Now."
"And what will you offer me in return?"
Elias snarled, but forced himself to remain still. "Anything."
She looked up then, her eyes glowing like molten amber. "Even your heart?"
He hesitated. His heart had belonged to Noah since the first time the boy dared to defy him. He could survive without it—but Noah wouldn't survive without this.
"Yes," he said finally. "Even that."
---
Back at the hideout, Noah's skin had gone cold. His lips were tinged with blue.
Elias dropped to his knees beside the bed and plunged the needle into Noah's arm. The antidote surged into his bloodstream, golden and glowing, a stark contrast to the inky black of the poison.
Noah gasped.
His back arched. His eyes flew open—wide, wild, and glowing faintly with power. A scream tore from his throat, not of pain, but of awakening.
And then… stillness.
"Noah?"
His eyes flicked to Elias. Recognition. Relief.
"You came back to me," Elias breathed.
Noah's voice was hoarse. "You promised."
Elias leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Noah's. "I'll always come for you."
Their bond was different now. Stronger. As if the brush with death had tethered them tighter.
But their moment was short-lived.
A slow clap echoed from the corner of the room.
The healer, the one who had stood vigil while Elias was gone, stepped forward. But something was wrong—his eyes no longer shone with empathy. They were cold. Smirking.
"Impressive," the healer said. "You actually found the antidote. I didn't think you had it in you, Elias."
Elias stiffened. "What are you talking about?"
The healer pulled off his gloves slowly, deliberately. "I'm saying this was a test. And you failed."
Noah tried to sit up. Elias shielded him instinctively.
The healer's face twisted with something darker than smugness—reverence. "Noah was never meant to die. Only to awaken. The poison… was part of the plan."
Elias stood, the air humming with tension. "Whose plan?"
The healer's smile widened. "His. The King of Shadows. Your ex-lover. The true ruler of the Night Courts."
Noah's breath caught. The room seemed to freeze.
The healer stepped back, and for a second, his form shimmered. Then, from the doorway behind him, another figure stepped into view.
Tall. Regal. Familiar.
The ex-lover.
"Hello, Noah," he purred. "Welcome home."