Elias lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, trying desperately to silence the thoughts racing in his head. His body was still a battleground, full of foreign, yet thrilling magic, and it had become harder and harder to separate himself from the constant pull of Rael's presence. The demon's voice echoed inside him, tugging at his insides, urging him to embrace the power that was growing inside of him.
It wasn't just the magic anymore. It was the need. The hunger. The way Rael made everything feel too much — like everything Elias had known was slipping away into the dark abyss of the unknown.
Rael's face haunted him. His golden eyes, that damn seductive grin. The way his touch had seared Elias's skin with an intensity that still lingered in every part of him.
I can't do this anymore...
Elias turned his head, his eyes scanning the room. The moonlight filtered through the window, casting pale light on the empty space. He knew he should go to sleep, or at least try to calm his nerves, but it felt impossible.
A soft rustle outside his door snapped his attention. His heart skipped a beat. Rael.
He could feel him out there, like an electric pulse that ran straight through him. But he couldn't—no, he wouldn't—fall into that pull again. Not now, not when everything felt like it was falling apart.
The door creaked open, and there he stood. Rael. His tall, imposing figure filled the doorway, casting a shadow that seemed to grow with every breath Elias took. Rael's golden eyes locked onto him with an intensity that made Elias's skin crawl—though, in the back of his mind, he knew it was more desire than fear.
"Elias," Rael's voice was a low rumble, too smooth, too familiar. "We need to talk."
Elias's blood ran cold. Not this again...
Rael stepped into the room, his movements slow, deliberate. Each step felt like a magnet pulling Elias closer.
"No, Rael," Elias snapped, sitting up in bed, clutching the covers tightly around his chest. "I'm done with your games. I can't keep doing this." His voice was unsteady, but his words were clear. He had to fight this. He had to fight him.
Rael tilted his head, his lips curving into a knowing smirk. "You can't hide from it, Elias. You never could."
"Stop saying that!" Elias shouted, his chest tightening with frustration. "Stop acting like you know everything about me! You don't! You're just a demon—no, a thing—that's messing with my life, my head, my magic!"
Rael's expression darkened, the calm, collected facade slipping ever so slightly. "You've been nothing but a distraction to me, Elias. I didn't ask for any of this, but I'm here now. And you're mine."
The words hit harder than Elias expected, his heart stumbling in his chest. But he wasn't going to give in. Not this time.
"No," Elias hissed, shaking his head. "You're not taking me over. I won't let you control me, Rael. You can't just keep coming and going whenever you please—like I'm some toy for you to play with. I have my own life. I'm not yours."
Rael's eyes flared with anger, a dangerous glint in the depths of his golden irises. He took a step forward, his shadow stretching over Elias. "You belong to me, Elias. Your magic is mine. I've marked you—body and soul. You'll never be able to outrun me."
Elias felt the magic stir inside him, thrumming with Rael's words. The heat in his veins ignited once more, as if Rael's touch was still there, branding him. It was too much to ignore, but Elias didn't want it. He couldn't.
"No," Elias repeated, his voice shaking with raw defiance. "I'm not some puppet you can control. I'm not yours to own. I'm—"
Before he could finish, Rael was on him. He grabbed Elias by the wrist, pulling him to his feet with an unexpected force. Their bodies collided, chest to chest, and Elias felt his breath hitch as Rael's warmth flooded his senses.
Rael's gaze burned into him, his expression a mixture of frustration and something else Elias couldn't place. "You're so stubborn, Elias," Rael growled, his voice low and dangerous. "But you'll learn. You'll learn that you don't get to choose."
Elias shoved against Rael's chest, trying to push him away, but it was like trying to move a mountain. "No! I don't want this! I don't want you in my head!"
Rael's lips twisted into a grin, though it was dark and cold. "I'm already there, Elias. And you can't run from me. Not anymore."
The words hit harder than any spell Rael had cast on him. Elias felt his resolve shatter as Rael's body pressed him back into the bed, pinning him down with an almost brutal ease.
Elias gasped, struggling, his chest heaving. "Rael, please..."
But Rael didn't listen. Instead, he leaned down, his lips brushing against Elias's ear. His breath was hot and uneven, a stark contrast to the coldness in his tone. "You can fight me all you want. But in the end, you'll beg for me. Just like you did before."
Elias's heart pounded in his chest, but the anger he felt wasn't just at Rael. It was at himself. At his own helplessness.
He couldn't fight this. Not when Rael had taken so much of him already.
"I don't want to," Elias murmured, his voice trembling. "I don't want to be this person."
Rael's expression softened, just slightly, as he gazed down at Elias. "You won't have a choice. I won't let you go."
The moment stretched between them, suffocating and heavy. Rael's lips parted as if to say something, but instead, Elias took a sharp breath and, in a moment of pure desperation, pushed against Rael's chest with all the strength he had left.
Rael stumbled back slightly, the look of surprise in his eyes quickly replaced by fury. "You want to fight me?" he growled, his voice seething with dangerous intent. "Then fine. Fight me. But you won't win."
Elias scrambled out of the bed, his body shaking from the intensity of the moment. His magic surged, an unfamiliar sensation coursing through his veins, almost as if his own power was pushing against Rael's. He didn't understand it, but he could feel it.
And, for the first time since meeting Rael, Elias felt a flicker of control over his magic.
"I don't need you, Rael," Elias snapped, though his voice wavered. "And I don't need this power. I just need to be me."
Rael's gaze turned cold, but something flickered behind his eyes—something darker, deeper. "You'll regret this."
With a flick of his wrist, the door slammed shut, leaving Elias alone in the room.
His chest still heaving, Elias collapsed back onto the bed, the weight of everything sinking in. He didn't know if he'd made the right choice. He didn't know if he could ever make the right choice anymore.
But one thing was for sure — Rael had awakened something inside him that couldn't be easily put back to sleep.