**Eloise's POV**
I found Caius in his room, sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. The second I stepped inside, his piercing gaze snapped up to meet mine.
"Had fun?" His voice was sharp, edged with something dangerously close to resentment.
I crossed my arms. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"You tell me." He stood up, stepping closer, his presence suffocating. "You ignored me, chose to sit there with him, laughing, telling him things you never told me."
"That's not true."
Caius scoffed, running a hand through his hair. "You barely even looked at me, Eloise. You were too busy hanging on to every damn word he said."
I felt my frustration spike. "Oh, so now I'm not allowed to talk to people? Is that it? I didn't realize I needed your permission."
"Don't twist my words." His voice dropped lower, more dangerous. "This isn't about you talking to Rowan. It's about *how* you talk to him."
I blinked, caught off guard. "What?"
Caius took another step forward, his eyes burning into mine. "You were different. Open. Excited. I've never seen you like that with me." His jaw clenched. "What is he to you?"
I inhaled sharply. "*What?*"
"You heard me." His voice was rough, almost desperate. "Do you like him?"
I stiffened. "That's ridiculous."
"Is it?" He let out a bitter chuckle. "Because the way you looked at him—like he was the most interesting person in the room—*it wasn't ridiculous to me.*"
I felt a sharp pang of guilt but refused to back down. "So what if I was interested in talking to him? He's a part of *my* story, Caius. I created him. Of course I want to know him."
Caius' expression darkened. "And what am I, then? A mere character you've grown tired of?"
I gasped, genuinely hurt. "How can you even say that?"
"Because that's how it *feels*!" He exhaled harshly, looking away as if ashamed of his own words. "I thought I was—" He stopped himself, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter."
My chest ached. "Caius..."
"No," he cut me off. "Forget it. Go back to Rowan if that's what you want."
His words struck deep, a mixture of pain and anger swelling inside me. I clenched my fists. "*You're impossible.*"
Before he could say anything else, I turned on my heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind me.
And for the first time since arriving in this world, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go back.
——-
**Eloise's POV**
I stormed through the dimly lit streets, my mind a raging storm of emotions. Caius was impossible—jealous, overbearing, and completely unfair. Who was he to dictate who I talked to? Who was he to assume what I felt?
The nerve of him.
I exhaled sharply, trying to shake off the lingering heat in my chest. The streets of the city were quieter than usual, the bustling energy from earlier now replaced with an eerie stillness. My frustration blinded me to my surroundings, my thoughts too occupied with Caius' infuriating words to notice the looming danger in the shadows.
It wasn't until I felt a hand grab my wrist that a chilling sense of dread coiled in my stomach.
"Where you off to in such a hurry, sweetheart?" A low, gravelly voice whispered against my ear.
I spun around, only to find myself trapped.
A group of men, their faces hidden beneath dark hoods, encircled me like a pack of wolves. Their eyes glinted in the dim light, filled with cruel intentions that made my skin crawl.
My breath hitched.
I took a step back, only for one of them to block my way. My heart pounded in my chest as realization struck—I was completely alone.
"You seem lost," another man sneered, his hand reaching toward me. "Why don't we... keep you company?"
My stomach twisted.
"Don't touch me." My voice was sharp, but my body betrayed me, trembling slightly.
The men laughed.
"Oh, feisty. I like that," the first man said, stepping closer. "I wonder how long that attitude will last."
Panic surged through me. My mind raced for a way out, for something—*anything*—that could help me escape. But before I could react, one of them lunged forward, grabbing my arm.
I struggled, kicking and thrashing, but their grip was ironclad.
"Let me go!" I yelled, hoping—*praying*—someone would hear me.
The leader chuckled darkly. "No one's coming to save you, sweetheart."
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
But then—
A sharp gust of wind. A blur of motion.
And suddenly, the man holding me was yanked away, his body crashing into the alley wall with a sickening *thud.*
Everything went still.
I barely had time to process what happened before a familiar presence stepped in front of me, shielding me from the remaining attackers.
Caius.
His golden eyes burned with a fury I had never seen before, his entire body radiating pure, lethal rage.
"Touch her again," he growled, unsheathing his sword in one swift motion, "and I will personally make sure you never touch *anything* again."