Sebastian moved.
But this time—
It wasn't rushed.
It wasn't wild.
It was inevitable.
By the time Adrian realized what was happening—
It was already too late.
His hand was still wrapped around Eliana's wrist when—
Sebastian appeared beside him.
No sound.
No warning.
Just presence.
"Let her go."
The words were quiet.
Calm.
Final.
Adrian's grip tightened instead, his lips curving slightly. "Or—"
He didn't finish.
Because Sebastian simply looked at his hand.
And it released.
Not by choice.
By force.
Adrian's fingers uncurled from Eliana's wrist like something invisible had commanded them to.
Eliana staggered back, her breath catching as she moved behind Sebastian.
Sebastian didn't acknowledge her.
Didn't check.
Didn't ask if she was okay.
Because he already knew.
His attention remained exactly where it belonged.
On Adrian.
"You're losing control," Sebastian said, almost bored.
Adrian let out a low laugh—but it was strained now, unstable beneath the surface.
"You say that like it concerns you."
"It doesn't," Sebastian replied.
A pause.
Then—
"You're damaging my property."
Silence.
Eliana blinked.
Adrian's smile twitched.
"…Your property?" he repeated slowly.
Sebastian's gaze flickered—just briefly.
Not to Eliana.
But toward her.
Possession.
Clear. Unapologetic.
Then his eyes returned to Adrian, completely uninterested in the reaction he'd just caused.
"Fix yourself," he said. "Or I will."
Adrian exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair as his body tensed again. The darkness beneath his skin pulsed, more violent now, more unstable.
"You don't understand what this is," he muttered.
Sebastian didn't respond.
Didn't argue.
Didn't ask.
He simply stepped closer.
And the air changed.
Pressure dropped.
Power—real power—settled into the room, quiet and suffocating. Not explosive. Not loud.
Controlled.
Dominant.
Adrian felt it.
Eliana saw it.
The difference between them became obvious.
One was losing control.
The other had never lost it.
"Look at you," Adrian said, voice tightening despite himself. "Still pretending you're above it."
"I don't pretend," Sebastian replied.
A beat.
"I am."
That did it.
Something in Adrian snapped.
He lunged—
Fast.
Violent.
Desperate.
Sebastian didn't move.
Not immediately.
He waited.
Calculated.
And just as Adrian reached him—
Sebastian lifted a single hand.
And stopped him.
Just like that.
No struggle.
No impact.
Adrian's body froze mid-motion, like he'd hit something invisible. His expression twisted, confusion flashing through the darkness in his eyes as he tried to push forward—
And couldn't.
"What—"
Sebastian tilted his head slightly, studying him.
Dissecting him.
"You're not transforming," he said calmly. "You're being taken over."
Eliana's breath hitched behind him.
Adrian's jaw tightened. "You think I don't know that?"
"You don't understand it."
"I understand enough—"
"No," Sebastian cut in softly. "If you did, you wouldn't be standing this close to her."
Silence dropped again.
He finally stepped closer.
Slow.
Measured.
Every step deliberate.
Adrian tried to move again.
Still nothing.
Pinned.
Not by force—
By will.
Sebastian stopped directly in front of him.
Close enough to end it.
But he didn't.
Because something in his expression shifted.
Not anger.
Not urgency.
Just… realization.
"…So that's it," he murmured.
Adrian's breathing faltered.
And for the first time—
There was something like unease in his eyes.
"What?" Eliana asked, her voice quieter now.
Sebastian didn't look at her.
Didn't need to.
But when he spoke—
It was for her.
"He's reacting to you."
The words landed heavily.
Eliana froze. "What do you mean—?"
Adrian let out a rough laugh, but it lacked strength now. "Don't act surprised… you felt it too."
"Felt what?"
No one answered immediately.
And that silence—
Said everything.
Sebastian's gaze darkened slightly.
"Your presence is accelerating it," he said.
Eliana's heart skipped. "That's not possible—"
"It is."
Adrian's head tilted weakly, his voice dropping lower. "You don't even know what you are… do you?"
Sebastian's expression hardened instantly.
"Enough."
This time—
There was no patience in it.
Adrian smirked faintly, even as his body trembled. "You can't hide it forever."
Sebastian stepped even closer.
And now—
It felt final.
"Watch me."
A pause.
Then—
Without raising his voice…
Without changing his expression…
Sebastian tightened his control.
Adrian's body jerked violently as something unseen forced its way through him—pressing, suppressing, overriding whatever was trying to take over.
A strained sound tore from his throat—
Then—
Silence.
Heavy.
Sudden.
Adrian went still.
Not unconscious.
Not gone.
Just… contained.
Like a storm forced back into a cage.
Eliana stared, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
"Is he…?"
"Alive," Sebastian said simply.
No emotion.
No relief.
Just fact.
She swallowed. "And the… thing?"
Sebastian finally turned to her.
And this time—
There was something different in his gaze.
Not softness.
Not warmth.
Something deeper.
More dangerous.
"Still there."
A beat.
Then—
"It won't stay quiet for long."
Eliana's stomach dropped.
"Then what do we do?"
Sebastian held her gaze for a moment.
Long enough for that invisible thread between them to tighten again.
Unavoidable.
Unbreakable.
Then he said—
"We stop pretending you're not involved."