/ POV: Zure /
"…damn it…"
The words slipped out under his breath.
Low.
Sharp.
Barely controlled.
His hands trembled.
Not from fear—
but from something far worse.
Frustration.
[ Why… ]
His fingers tightened slowly.
Knuckles turning pale.
[ …does it never work? ]
He had done everything.
Carefully.
Patiently.
Step by step.
Watching her.
Learning her habits.
Her schedule.
Her patterns.
He knew when she woke up.
When she left.
What she liked.
What she avoided.
He knew her—
better than anyone.
And yet—
she kept rejecting him.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Each "no" didn't push him away.
It pulled him deeper.
[ Why don't you understand… ]
His breathing slowed.
Becoming quieter.
Colder.
[ I'm the only one who understands you. ]
A faint twitch appeared at the corner of his lips.
[ I'm the only one who stays. ]
His gaze darkened.
[ So why… ]
A pause.
[ …won't you choose me? ]
Silence.
Then—
something inside him shifted.
Not breaking.
But… settling.
A thought.
Simple.
Clear.
Irreversible.
[ Then don't choose. ]
His expression softened.
Strangely calm.
[ I'll choose for you. ]
A slow smile spread across his face.
Not wide.
Not exaggerated.
Just enough—
to feel wrong.
[ If you won't come to me… ]
His eyes lowered slightly.
[ I'll make it so you can't leave. ]
No anger.
No hesitation.
Just certainty.
Because to him—
this wasn't cruelty.
It was—
love.
Outside Alice's House
Zure stood in the shadows.
Like he always did.
Watching.
Waiting.
Time passed.
Minutes.
Then more.
Nothing changed.
No lights.
No movement.
No sound.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
[ …Where is she? ]
Something felt off.
Wrong.
[ She should be here. ]
His mind began to move.
Fast.
Precise.
[ Did she change her routine? ]
[ No… she wouldn't. ]
[ Did something happen? ]
His jaw tightened.
Just slightly.
[ Today… ]
A memory surfaced.
Her rejection.
Again.
And then—
she walked away.
Alone.
Silence.
[ …No. ]
His breathing slowed further.
[ Something changed. ]
And he hated that.
Because he hadn't planned for that.
[ I prepared everything. ]
His fingers curled.
[ Everything. ]
And yet—
the one variable that mattered most—
was missing.
Alice.
Phone — Ringing
The sound cut through the silence.
Sharp.
Sudden.
Zure glanced at the screen.
Leto.
For a split second—
his expression twisted.
Then—
it disappeared.
Replaced by something else.
Normal.
Polite.
Controlled.
He answered.
"Hello, uncle."
His voice was smooth.
Respectful.
Clean.
Not a single trace—
of what he truly was.
He listened.
Silent.
Still.
And then—
the call ended.
For a moment—
he didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Didn't react.
Then—
a smile appeared.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Cold.
"…I see."
His eyes shifted slightly.
Toward the distance.
"The hospital…"
A quiet breath escaped him.
Almost… satisfied.
[ So that's where you are. ]
Something dark flickered behind his gaze.
[ With someone else. ]
Not anger.
Something deeper.
Possessive.
Unstable.
[ Someone touched you. ]
His fingers tightened.
[ Someone interfered. ]
The smile didn't disappear.
It grew.
Just a little.
[ That's fine. ]
A step forward.
[ I'll fix it. ]
Another step.
Faster.
[ I'll remove the problem. ]
His pace turned into a run.
Footsteps echoing against the empty street.
[ And then— ]
His eyes sharpened.
[ You'll come back to me. ]
The night swallowed him whole.
And somewhere—
far away—
in a quiet hospital room—
neither Sana—
nor Alice—
realized—
something was coming.