The late afternoon sun spilled golden light across the campus, but Elena barely noticed. She had been walking with her sketchbook clutched to her chest, headphones tucked around her neck, when someone's voice pulled her attention.
"Hey, Elena!"
She turned to see a guy from her lecture—a normal, completely ordinary human—grinning at her. His name was Ryan, a third-year history major who had always been friendly but never overly forward. Today, though, there was something different. There was… intent.
"Hi," she said cautiously, her lips curling into a polite smile.
"Mind if I join you?" Ryan asked, gesturing to the bench beside her.
Elena hesitated. Her heart thudded in a way that made her uneasy. She wanted to talk to him—he was kind, funny, and easy to be around—but every time she thought of Aiden, her chest tightened. The mere thought of him stirred something deep, something she couldn't name but could feel in every fiber of her being.
"Sure," she said softly, letting him sit.
From the shadows of a nearby tree, Aiden watched. His silver-flecked eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched almost imperceptibly. He had to remain hidden, remain silent. The Council's rules still bound him. He could not interfere… not directly.
But watching Ryan lean closer, laughing too easily, and brushing Elena's hair away from her face sparked something almost primal in him.
No, he thought sharply, stay away.
Yet, every time Ryan smiled at her, every time he spoke, a small, stubborn flicker of jealousy ignited in Aiden's chest. He longed to be the one to brush that hair away, the one to make her laugh so easily, the one she could lean on. But he could not. Not yet.
Ryan was talking about class, about the upcoming history project, and Elena nodded politely, trying to keep her responses neutral. Her mind, though, kept wandering to the memory of Aiden's hand brushing hers, the warmth of him near, the sound of his voice calling her name that first night.
She caught herself staring at Ryan and realized with a jolt that she was trying—trying—to give in to the idea of someone normal, someone human. It was ridiculous, but part of her wanted it. Part of her wanted normal. Part of her wanted to feel something she could actually touch without consequence, without the weight of centuries of rules pressing down.
Ryan's laugh pulled her out of her thoughts. "You have the most amazing sketches," he said, eyes bright. "You really should show them to more people. I'd love to see more of your work."
Elena's stomach fluttered. "Thanks," she said softly, glancing down at her sketchbook. "I… I usually keep it to myself."
Ryan leaned closer, not uncomfortably, just enough that the space between them shrank. "Well, maybe you could let me see sometime? I promise I'm not a creep," he said with a teasing grin.
And that was it. That small, human, ordinary moment made Elena's chest ache with conflicting emotions. Her heart wanted Aiden, but her mind… her mind wanted to give Ryan a chance.
A sudden gust of wind rustled the leaves above her, and Aiden's presence shifted closer. He could not intervene, could not appear to Ryan. But the urge to act—to sweep Ryan aside, to shield her—was unbearable.
If only I could… he thought, just a little push…
But the rules of the Council were clear. He could not interfere, even if his heart ached for it. He had to stay in the shadows.
Still, the tiny surge of jealousy flared again. Ryan's hand accidentally brushed hers as he reached for his water bottle, and Aiden's chest tightened so sharply he felt as though his ribs would cave in.
Hands off, he thought, silent fury radiating through his being.
Elena, oblivious to Aiden's gaze—or perhaps sensing it without knowing—pulled her hand back, feeling a mix of guilt and confusion. Her heart was telling her one thing, her mind another.
Over the next few days, Ryan made a habit of showing up wherever Elena was—library, cafeteria, even during her art breaks on campus lawns. He was charming, patient, and kind. But each time he came near, Aiden's jealousy flared hotter.
Once, at the library, Ryan leaned over her shoulder to show her a note in class. The proximity made Elena's heart skip, and for a brief moment, she imagined what it would be like to touch someone so human, so ordinary, and not have centuries of rules, duties, and dangerous secrets hanging between them.
Aiden's breath tightened in the shadows of the library, unseen, unseen by human eyes. He longed to rearrange the wind so Ryan tripped or moved somewhere else. The thought made him almost smile… and then hate himself for it.
He watched as Ryan laughed, saw Elena's hesitant smile, and felt something he could not name—something dangerous and raw. He had to remain distant. The Council's warnings echoed in his mind: a Watcher could not fall. Not for the human they protected. Not ever.
But his heart… his heart had other ideas.
One afternoon, Elena tried to give in. She met Ryan after class, walking across the campus toward the small café by the student center. The sun bathed the path in golden light, and for a moment, it felt easy. Normal. She almost let herself believe that maybe she could… choose this ordinary connection.
"You're really incredible," Ryan said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I mean it. You deserve someone who notices all these things about you."
Elena's chest tightened. She wanted to say yes, to let herself lean into the warmth of someone who could offer normal affection. But she could not stop thinking about Aiden—his eyes, the way he watched her from the shadows, the weight of centuries pressing on him yet still making space for her.
A sudden gust of wind swirled around her, rustling her hair. Aiden appeared, just beyond the trees, hidden but very much present. His silver-flecked eyes burned with jealousy, watching Ryan like a hawk.
He's mine, the thought blazed in his mind.
He wanted to step out, wanted to make Ryan leave, to demand Elena's attention. But he could not. He could only watch, only wish he could use his power without breaking the rules. The wind swirled around him as if he were testing the limits of restraint, but he stayed his hand, letting it pass harmlessly.
Elena shivered, sensing the unseen presence but not knowing why. A part of her heart ached as she looked at Ryan—he was kind, normal, and yet… insufficient. Her soul reached for something beyond him, something eternal, something dangerous.
"I… I should go," she murmured suddenly, pulling back. "I… I need some air."
Ryan frowned, concerned. "Elena, wait—"
And then, Aiden's presence swirled closer, a whisper on the wind. The small gust pulled Ryan's loose scarf just enough to make him step back, startled. He looked around, confused. Elena smirked faintly, though she didn't know why.
"Sorry," she said softly. "I… need to clear my head."
Ryan nodded, glancing at her like he wanted to argue, but the inexplicable chill in the air, the way her eyes seemed to dart toward the shadows, made him hesitate. He did not know why, but he stepped back.
Aiden's gaze lingered on her, silver flecks glinting like stars. He wanted to step forward, wanted to reach her, wanted to tell Ryan to stay away. But he could not. Not yet. The Council's laws bound him tighter than chains.
That night, Elena lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. Ryan's words echoed softly in her mind: You deserve someone who notices all these things about you. And she had wanted to believe him, wanted to feel a sense of normal, human connection.
But every time she closed her eyes, she saw Aiden. The way he had watched her all day, the invisible weight of him pressing closer than human laws should allow. His jealousy, subtle yet undeniable, had followed her even here.
How can I love him? she whispered, tracing the blanket with trembling fingers. How can I love someone immortal, someone forbidden, someone I can't fully touch or hold…?
Her heart ached as she imagined Ryan, warm and human, waiting for her affection. But her soul reached elsewhere, to someone whose touch she might never truly claim.
And somewhere, in the shadows beyond her window, Aiden hovered. Hidden. Watching. His expression unreadable, but his heart… achingly, impossibly human.
He wanted to step inside, to take her hand, to demand, to claim. But he could not. Not yet. The Council's rules loomed over him, reminding him of the cost of falling.
Yet every flicker of human warmth, every heartbeat that was not his own, made his silver-flecked eyes burn with quiet fire.
I cannot leave her, he thought. Even if it destroys me.
And so he waited.
For Elena. For her choice. For the moment when human and Watcher might collide—and hearts might burn brighter than the laws of both realms would allow.
Because even when forced to remain distant, even when rules forbade it, Aiden's heart was already entangled.
And Elena… she could feel him, even when he did not touch.
The night stretched long, and somewhere in the darkness, a mortal boy dreamed of her smile. And an immortal Watcher, bound by duty, dreamed of her soul.
Two hearts, one choice, and a world on the edge of something beautiful—and dangerous.