The scream still echoed in Elias's ears.
Glass sparkled in the air like shards of ice, raining down around Damien and the masked intruder as they struggled on the hospital floor. Blood splattered the pristine white tiles. The scent hit Elias's nose like copper lightning—sharp, violent.
A second figure lunged from behind the curtain, hand reaching for Elias—
And then—
"Get away from him!"
Cassian barreled through the door, eyes wild, white coat flaring like a cape behind him. In a blur, he grabbed a metal IV pole and swung it with a force that cracked against the assailant's side. The masked figure crumpled with a strangled grunt.
Elias gasped as Cassian rushed to his side, checking his face, his pulse. "Are you hurt? Elias, talk to me—"
Damien let out a guttural snarl as he slammed the first intruder's head into the floor. The man went limp beneath him.
A nurse screamed down the hall. Alarms shrieked. Footsteps thundered. Within moments, hospital security burst into the room, followed by two uniformed officers who tackled the remaining attacker and dragged him off Damien's bleeding body.
"Two suspects—both armed," one of the officers barked into his radio. "Room secure. Call forensics."
Cassian's hands were warm against Elias's face, grounding him.
"I—I didn't see them coming," Elias stammered. "They were fast. I thought—"
"You're safe," Cassian said. "You're okay now."
Damien stood slowly, chest heaving. His shirt was slashed, blood soaking through the fabric at his side, but his expression was cold fury, unshaken.
"Who the hell sent them?" he muttered.
Elias looked at him, wide-eyed. "Was it the same person who took that photo?"
"I don't know," Damien growled. "But they're getting bolder."
---
Hospital Corridor – Later That Night
The corridor outside Elias's room buzzed with low voices. Police tape. Questions. Damien gave a statement with teeth gritted, holding pressure to his side as a nurse tried to bandage him. Cassian stood by Elias's bedside inside, refusing to leave him alone.
"He saved me," Elias whispered, watching Damien through the glass wall. "He got hurt again because of me."
Cassian sat beside him. "He's not the only one who'd get hurt for you."
Their eyes met. The weight of those words settled between them.
"Cassian…" Elias said softly. "Why are you doing this? You barely know me."
"I've seen the way you look when you think no one's watching. Like you're waiting for something terrible to happen. Like you're already carrying a goodbye."
Elias's breath caught.
"I don't know what this is," Cassian continued, "but I want to protect you too. Not because I'm obsessed with you… but because I care."
Elias didn't answer.
But he didn't look away either.
---
Meanwhile: Damien Outside the Hospital
Damien stood in the cold, jaw clenched, phone at his ear.
"Two masked intruders," he said. "In a hospital. That's not a random hit."
The voice on the other end—deep, gravelly—responded, "Your boy's not just bait anymore. Someone wants him erased."
"I'm going to find out who," Damien said. "And when I do, I'm going to rip them apart."
The call ended.
He turned just in time to see Elias laughing faintly through the glass with Cassian, who sat too close. Touched his wrist.
Damien's blood burned. He clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked.
Not him.
He doesn't get to have what's mine.
---
Later: The Twist – Cassian's Car
A few hours passed. The hospital had quieted. Elias was finally resting. Cassian stepped out, checking his phone.
Unknown number:
"Thank you for the distraction, Doctor. Now drive safe :)"
He frowned.
Unlocked his car. Started it. Pulled out into the nearly empty road.
He didn't notice the black SUV parked across the street.
Didn't see the glint of metal.
Didn't even get the chance to scream before—
BOOM.
The side of Cassian's car exploded with the force of a truck slamming into it.
The vehicle spun, flipped, then crashed into a streetlight, glass flying, horn blaring into the night.
---
Back inside the hospital, Elias stirred, waking from uneasy sleep.
His phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
He answered it instinctively.
A mechanical voice spoke:
"You should've stayed with Damien."
The line went dead.
Then a photo came through.
Cassian's mangled car.
Smoke rising.
Blood on the windshield.