“I asked—WILL IT BE OVER IF YOU JUMP FROM THIS CLIFF?” His voice boomed from deep in his gut, veins standing out on his neck, his forehead creased in frustration. As I stared at him, I nearly forgot the drop behind me—one step back and I’d be gone. My heart hammered so loudly it drowned out everything else.

When I didn’t answer, his yell came again, sharper this time. The sound made me flinch, panic rising. There were beasts around this lake—safe enough for me, but Blond was a different story. My mind spiraled between fear for him and the strange dreamlike pull he had on me.

For the first time in my life, I felt nervous—really nervous. My heart raced. I was sure I’d lost my mind. My silence only stoked his anger.

“Answer me, Mr. Zarion Noirclaw!”

He knew my name. He knew me—and still, he was here, scolding me.

I couldn’t stop staring. His hair, a striking mess of gold, caught the fading light. His flushed skin glowed faintly from running, and his sharp features were alive with fury. The fullness of his lips, the curve of his waist—damn it, get a grip, Zarion. I dragged my gaze to his eyes, honey-gold and unyielding, holding something untold deep inside.

The emotions hit me in a rush—his stiff shoulders, trembling hands, knees weakened from the run. Fear coiled inside him, raw and frantic, the fear of losing someone. The weight of it pressed against me like a chain around my neck.

“What about me then?” His voice cracked, shaking with a desperation that made my chest ache.

That weight—those trembling hands—made guilt dig into my bones. I should have known someone out there might be holding on because of me. I am their blue. But what was he so afraid of?

Then his cry split the air, a sound between agony and pleading. He was terrified… of losing me.

“You were the reason I was holding on to my pathetic life, Zarion. The life where my mom and dad didn’t even love me, cause—” His voice broke. For a second, he looked no older than a child.

“'Cause I suddenly developed… Wait! Why should I tell my story to someone who wants to end his life?” he snapped, and the force made me flinch.

He stepped forward, each movement deliberate. Fear twisted in me—would he push me, or jump with me? Instead, he grabbed my hand and yanked me forward. My body followed without resistance.

My mark flickered to life. A pink flush rose to my cheeks, quickly replaced by dread. He glanced at it—too long. His gaze felt like it could strip me bare, yet there was no disgust. Only raw, open fascination.

The glow on my forehead—proof of what I was, the curse others recoiled from—drew him in. His eyes told me he wanted to understand it, maybe even me. That thought scared me more than the cliff.

I covered it quickly, shame burning in my chest. If he looked at me with the same horror as everyone else, I wouldn’t survive it. But he didn’t turn away.

“Don’t tell me, Zarion… you were going to jump because of that beautiful mark of yours?” he said, voice sharp but tinged with something else—something that made my pulse quicken all over again.

"Don't tell me, Zarion—you were going to jump because of that mark?" Blond’s voice cut sharply through the air. A moment ago, he’d sounded vulnerable; now his tone was steel, making me feel exposed in his presence.

His honey-colored eyes locked onto the jewel in my forehead, its glow reflecting in his gaze as if it had taken hold of him. The raw emotion there made my pulse hammer, a faint throb pushing at my temples.

He stepped closer and pulled my hands down, revealing the mark completely. The world seemed to still. My defenses crumbled.

His touch felt intrusive, yet I couldn’t make myself pull away. Part of me wanted more—wanted him to tell me I mattered, like he used to—but the feeling no longer seemed dreamy. Now it felt dangerous.

The jewel caught the dim light, its surface smooth yet faintly shifting, as if alive. It wasn’t something placed there—it was a part of me, pulsing with my heartbeat. The faint shimmer changed with my emotions, a mirror to my soul I never agreed to show.

Blond’s focus didn’t waver, as though the jewel had its own gravity.

"Oh, no… no. Why would I—" My answer faltered.

His brows drew tight. "Wow. You were. You—seriously?" A frustrated sigh escaped him before his hand smacked my forehead. "You idiot. That mark isn’t a reason to end your life. You should—"

A low growl cut him off.

 “You should You should love yourself,” But Blond finished his words without even flinching, dismissing it as nothing more than a figment of his imagination.

They’re here. The sound crawled under my skin, a primal warning. Their anger bled into me, raw and hot—like they could feel the blow to my forehead too.

"Can’t you answer me without drifting off?" Blond’s voice snapped me back, but the beasts were closing in.

Something in me shifted. My gaze, once holding despair, turned cold. The air thickened around us. Blond froze where he stood, fear pinning his feet to the ground.

"You don’t know how it feels when they look at you like a monster," he said suddenly, voice low but certain.

I flinched. How could he know? A bitter laugh escaped my throat—dry, humorless. Years of torment condensed into a single sound.

Blond’s fists clenched. "What’s so funny?"

"Who will love this?" I touched the mark. "I don’t want to die alone. I want to marry, and—"

He burst out laughing—real laughter, rich and unrestrained. "You think no one will marry you because of that mark?"

The sound burned. My teeth clenched; a low growl rumbled in my chest before I could stop it.

"Just seeing that mark—" his voice dipped, thick with something I couldn’t name, "—makes me want you. Makes me want you inside me. I don’t know why… but you…" His words faltered.

Silence pressed between us. My lips curved into a faint, disbelieving smile. His cheeks flushed deep red, his eyes darting away.

Before either of us could speak, two growls split the air. Blond’s blush drained to white. He turned—and froze.

Two black panthers closed in. His body locked. Then darkness took him, and he crumpled to the ground.

Something inside me snapped. A surge of heat ripped through my veins. Purple mist swirled around me before I realized what was happening.

In an instant, I was no longer myself. A massive black panther stood where I had been, jewel blazing bright.

The other panthers halted. My growl tore through the forest, a sound that promised death to anything that touched him. They retreated without a fight, shadows melting into the trees.

When I turned back, Blond lay unconscious. I lifted him onto my back and ran. The forest seemed to come alive—leaves swirling, water shimmering—as I carried him to the treehouse.

Inside, I lay him gently on my bedroom floor. My gaze caught the mirror.

A monster stared back.

The thought hollowed me. Even if he likes me as an idol… he’ll hate me for this. The desperation to hide this side of me consumed every thought. The moment I wished it, my body shifted back.