Kai growled at the man, his entire body radiating fury as he stepped forward, muscles taut beneath his cloak. The shadows clung to him like armor, and his golden eyes burned with barely contained rage. "If I ever catch you near my wife again," he said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble, "I'll end you where you stand—no warnings, no second chances."
The man flinched, but Kai wasn't done. He kept advancing, his steps slow and deliberate, like a predator stalking prey. "You thought I wouldn't find out? That you could touch what's mine and walk away breathing?" His hand went to the hilt of the blade at his hip. "Look at her again, and the last thing you'll see is the steel I bury in your throat."
The man stumbled back, fear draining the color from his face.
Kai stopped just short of him, his voice now a quiet, bone-chilling whisper. "Next time, I won't be so merciful. You got one breath of grace. Don't waste it."
The man turned and ran, disappearing into the shadows. Kai tightened his grip around my waist, pulling me firmly against him. His voice was sharp, low with frustration. "You shouldn't have run from me," he said. "I brought you here to this timeline to keep you safe. Do you have any idea what could've happened to you out here? You want to get yourself killed? Or worse—sold off like some object because of the way you look?"
I swallowed hard, still catching my breath. His grip was strong—too strong—but not painful. It was like he was trying to anchor me to him, to this place, to the moment. I could feel the heat radiating off his body, his chest rising and falling fast, his heart thudding against my back.
"I didn't mean to run," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I just... I panicked."
Kai's jaw clenched, and for a moment, he said nothing. Then he turned me around to face him, his hands sliding to my shoulders. His golden eyes locked with mine—fierce, searching, almost wild.
"You think this world is like yours?" he asked, voice rough. "It's not. Here, people like you—beautiful, rare, out of place—don't get second chances. You don't just vanish into the background. You shine like a damn beacon to every monster that walks these streets."
His words stung, but not because they were harsh. Because they were true.
"You're not from here," he continued, softer now, but no less intense. "You don't know the rules, the danger. That man back there would've sold you to the highest bidder just for the color of your hair."
I glanced down, strands of my long pink hair falling over my shoulder. I hadn't realized how much it made me stand out here. I hadn't realized how badly I'd underestimated this place.
"I just wanted to breathe," I said, my voice cracking. "To think. Everything's moving too fast, Kai."
He sighed and cupped my cheek with one hand, the anger in him cooling into something else—something deeper. "You can breathe," he said quietly. "You can think. But not alone. Not without me. I didn't bring you here to lose you."
I looked into his eyes and felt the weight of his words settle inside me. I wasn't sure what I was to him yet. A responsibility? A weakness? A wife?
But in that moment, I knew one thing for certain—whatever this world was, and whatever he was to me now... I wasn't safe without him.
He took my hand and led me into the thick forest, where the trees grew tall and tangled, blocking out the sky. Shadows stretched across the ground, and the only sound was the rustling of leaves beneath our boots. Kai said nothing—his grip was firm, determined, as if he had a destination in mind, though he never explained where.
The shard in my hand began to glow, a soft, pulsing blue that illuminated the space between my fingers. I slowed my steps, staring at it in awe. It hadn't done this before—not since the day my mother gave it to me in secret, whispering that when it glowed, it would guide me to the rest of the blade.
But Kai didn't seem to notice. His gaze stayed forward, scanning the trees, oblivious to the glow. To him, it was just a stone, meaningless and dull. He didn't know the stories. He didn't know the danger.
I hesitated, torn between following him and following the shard. Its light grew brighter the deeper we walked. My mother's voice echoed in my memory: "When it awakens, you must listen. It will show you the truth."
And yet Kai continued on, unaware of what I carried… or what it meant.
When we reached the edge of the forest and stepped into the clearing, I saw a small village nestled between the trees. People were busy with their daily tasks, and children laughed as they ran through the fields. Kai led me off to the side, away from prying eyes, and wrapped his arm firmly around my waist, pulling me closer. His voice was low and commanding as he said, "You'll pretend to be my wife. You'll sleep in my home, in my bed... and you will give me a child."
My breath caught in my throat.
I looked up at him, eyes wide. "What...?" I whispered, barely able to form the word. My heart pounded violently in my chest, unsure if it was fear, anger—or something far more confusing.
Kai's gaze didn't waver. There was no hint of a joke or warmth behind his expression—just calm certainty, like his words were law. His hand remained at my waist, fingers pressing into my side possessively.
I shoved at his chest, panic rising in my throat. "Let me go, Kai," I said through clenched teeth. "I'm not yours."
But he didn't budge. His strength was immovable—like trying to push against a wall of stone. His arm tightened around my waist, keeping me flush against him as if daring me to try again.
Kai looked down at me, his jaw tense. For a moment, something flickered in his eyes—something unreadable.
"You can fight me all you want," he murmured, his voice low and unreadable, "but I'm the only one standing between you and a world that would eat you alive."
I eventually stopped struggling, not because I gave in, but because I knew it was useless. His grip finally loosened, just enough to let me walk beside him, but his hand remained possessively at the small of my back as he guided me toward the village.
The dirt path was lined with wooden homes and lanterns strung between posts. Smoke curled from chimneys, and the scent of baked bread mixed with the sharp tang of burning wood. Villagers glanced our way as we passed—some nodded respectfully to Kai, others averted their gaze entirely.
They feared him.
I kept my head low, trying not to make eye contact, but I felt their stares—especially the women. Some looked at me with confusion, others with something closer to envy. His wife, they were surely thinking. Where did she come from?
As if sensing my thoughts, Kai leaned down, whispering in my ear, "Keep your head up. You're not a slave. You're mine."
I flinched, glaring up at him, but did as he said. Even if I didn't want to play this part, something told me pretending was better than the alternative.
He led me to a tall, dark-wood house near the far end of the village, set slightly apart from the rest. It had high walls and a heavy door carved with symbols I couldn't read. Before I could ask, he pushed the door open and stepped inside, tugging me with him.
The interior was warm, dimly lit by firelight. Weapons hung on the walls—blades, staffs, throwing knives—all meticulously arranged. Animal pelts covered the floor and a single long table stood near the hearth, covered in scrolls and maps.
"This is your home now," Kai said, letting go of me at last. He shut the door behind him and locked it with a click that sent a chill down my spine.
"You'll stay here. You'll sleep here. No one will question us if they believe you belong to me."
I turned slowly to face him. "And if I don't play along?"
Kai crossed the room, unstrapping a blade from his belt and placing it on the table. Then he looked at me, not with anger—but with something darker. Protective. Possessive.
"Then they'll come for you," he said simply. "And I'll kill every last one of them."