I was clean for three days.
No dreams. No strange summoning circles. No whispers in the dead of night. I told myself it was over. Whatever happened between me and that demon—it was a mistake. A one-time slip, a breach in reality.
But I was wrong.
On the fourth night, it came back. In the stillness of my room, a shiver ran up my spine. I felt his presence before I even saw him.
Rael'Zhar.
His eyes, gold and glowing, reflected in the dark glass of the mirror. I froze, heart pounding, as I watched his hand press through the surface—breaking it like liquid. His long, delicate fingers curled around the edges, the warmth of his touch radiating through the air.
"Elias," his voice was low, thick with something that made my pulse quicken. "Why are you fighting me?"
I tried to back away, but my legs were frozen to the spot. His voice wrapped around me like a suffocating fog, pulling me in. His glowing blue eyes flicked over me, intense and calculating.
"You think you can deny me forever?" he asked, his voice soft, but insistent.
"I... I can't—I don't want this."
But even as I said the words, my body betrayed me. The air around us crackled with dark magic, and something deep inside me stirred—magic I didn't understand. A heat, a pull that I couldn't ignore. It burned, deep in my chest.
"Liar," he purred, his lips curling into a sinful smile.
Before I could protest, his hand shot out, grabbing my wrist with a strength I couldn't fight. His skin was warm—so warm it burned—but it felt... right. Familiar.
"I can feel it," Rael'Zhar whispered, his voice now a dark, intimate murmur. "You want me. You just don't know it yet."
He pulled me toward him, until his chest brushed mine, a heat radiating between us. My breath caught in my throat, my skin tingling where he touched me. There was a flicker of hesitation, but it was drowned by the undeniable need that was growing inside me.
Rael'Zhar leaned in close, his lips grazing my ear. "I can teach you, Elias. Everything you need to know about power, magic... and pleasure."
I swallowed, my mind swimming with confusion and arousal. I should've pushed him away, told him to leave. But I didn't. My body was reacting on its own—betraying me in the most dangerous way.
His lips brushed against mine, soft at first, teasing. Then harder. Deep, like he was claiming my mouth.
It was all wrong. But it felt so right.
I gasped into his kiss, and suddenly, I was pressed against him—his body heat overwhelming me. His hands roamed, firm and confident, claiming my skin. I could feel the strength in his body, the power that radiated from him like an intoxicating drug.
"No more running," Rael'Zhar whispered, his hands moving to the waistband of my pants.
And for a second, I almost let him. Almost let myself fall into that dark desire.
But just as quickly, I pulled back, my breath ragged. "Stop. I can't—"
Rael'Zhar only smirked, a wicked glint in his eyes. "You can't resist it, Elias. Not anymore."
I stumbled backward, panic clawing at my chest as I tried to collect myself. The pull he had on me was undeniable, but there were still too many questions. Too many consequences.
Before I could speak, he vanished—like smoke in the wind, leaving only the remnants of his presence in the air.
I stood there, trembling, alone. My heart was racing, my body still burning with that strange desire. But now, something else had changed.
I looked down at my chest. The mark was still there. Fresh and glowing, as if it had been etched in fire.
This wasn't just a dream.