Nor Ah closed the studio early.
She needed space—air—but instead she poured herself a glass of wine and sat on the couch, heart still thundering. Her fingers traced the still-glowing runes on her collarbone, the ones she'd etched onto her own skin a year ago. She didn't remember why. Only that it felt… necessary.
A knock rattled the door.
She should've ignored it.
But her body moved before thought, opening the door to find Du Guk standing in the rain.
Soaked. Breathless. Dangerous.
"I'm not here to hurt you," he said, voice raw.
"Then why are you here?" she asked, trembling. "Why do I feel like you already belong inside me?"
He stepped in without permission, and still, the world didn't protest.
"I can feel you," he said. "Even when I'm not touching you."
She swallowed hard. "What are you?"
"Half-vampire," he admitted. "But the blood in me… it's cursed. Dormant. Until you."
Their eyes locked.
A long silence.
"You came to bind yourself to me?" she asked.
"No," he said, closing the distance between them. "I came to remember what I am. You… you woke it up."
And then, his hand grazed her cheek.
She should've pulled away. Instead, she leaned in. Her lips found his, soft at first—but hungry. Something inside her clawed to the surface. Light. Power. Heat.
Their kiss turned primal. His hands gripped her waist. Her fingers tangled in his wet hair. Her blood sang, ancient and eager.
And in the moment before it turned into something more, she pulled away.
Breathless. Trembling. Wanting.
"This isn't safe," she whispered.
"No," Du Guk said, voice hoarse. "It's fate."