Ava didn't realize she was still holding her breath… until he let go of her.
The moment his grip loosened, the world seemed to rush back all at once—the distant sirens, the cold night air, the violent rhythm of her heartbeat.
But he didn't move away.
He stayed close.
Too close.
"Why are you helping me?" Ava finally asked, her voice unsteady but determined.
He didn't answer.
Instead, his eyes scanned the dark alley, sharp and alert, as if danger was something he could see before it arrived.
"Because if I don't," he said after a moment, "you'll be dead before sunrise."
Ava felt a chill crawl up her spine.
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you need."
A tense silence fell between them.
Ava crossed her arms, trying to steady herself.
"Look," she said, "I don't know who you are, and honestly—I don't want to. But dragging me into whatever this is? Not okay."
He let out a quiet breath, almost like a laugh—but without any warmth.
"You think you had a choice?"
That hit harder than she expected.
"I always have a choice."
He stepped closer again.
And suddenly, the space between them felt too small.
"No," he said quietly. "You had a normal life… until you met me."
Before she could argue, a sharp sound echoed nearby.
Footsteps.
More than one.
Fast.
His expression changed instantly.
Focused.
Dangerous.
"They found us."
Ava's eyes widened. "Who—"
"Not now."
Without warning, he grabbed her hand—this time tighter—and pulled her deeper into the maze of narrow alleys.
"Hey! Wait—!"
"Stay quiet," he whispered harshly.
They ran.
Through darkness.
Through silence.
Through a city that suddenly felt like a trap.
Ava stumbled once, but he caught her before she could fall.
"Careful," he muttered.
His voice… softer this time.
And that confused her more than anything else.
After what felt like forever, they finally stopped.
Hidden behind an abandoned building.
Ava leaned against the wall, gasping for air.
"I can't… keep doing this," she said.
He watched her closely.
"You won't have to."
Her brows furrowed. "What does that mean?"
Another pause.
Then he said something that made her heart drop—
"Because from now on… you don't leave my side."
Ava stared at him.
"You don't get to decide that."
A shadow of a smile touched his lips.
"No," he said. "But danger does."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The tension between them wasn't just fear anymore.
It was something else.
Something dangerous in a completely different way.
Ava swallowed hard.
"Then tell me one thing," she said softly.
He tilted his head slightly.
"What?"
"If I stay with you…" she hesitated, then finished, "will I survive?"
He looked at her.
Really looked.
And for a brief second, that cold, unreadable expression cracked.
"Maybe," he said.
Her heart sank.
"That's not reassuring."
He leaned closer—just enough for his voice to drop into a whisper.
"But it'll be worth it."
And somehow—
That was even more terrifying.