The Fall

Vexaria didn't have time to think. One second, she was standing there, chest heaving, the fire in Xypheron's eyes burning into her. The next, she was against the cold stone wall, his body pressing into hers, caging her in, drowning her in his presence.

Her breath hitched. This wasn't slow, wasn't gentle—it was a storm, a collision of wills that neither of them could stop. His hands found her wrists, pinning them against the wall as his face hovered just inches from hers.

"You wanted this," he murmured, his voice rough, edged with something dark.

Vexaria's pulse pounded, her body betraying her even as her mind screamed at her to fight back. "I—"

"You've been running," Xypheron cut her off, his lips brushing the edge of her jaw, his breath hot against her skin. "But not anymore."

A shudder ripped through her as his grip tightened. He was relentless, pushing her past every wall she had ever built, tearing through every defense she had clung to for so long. And gods help her, she wasn't sure she wanted to stop him.

Her hands clenched into fists, but she didn't push him away. She couldn't.

Xypheron's lips ghosted over hers, teasing, daring her to close the distance. "Tell me to stop," he whispered, his voice both a command and a challenge.

Vexaria's breath came ragged, but the words wouldn't come. She should shove him back, remind him that she was no one's possession. But the truth settled deep in her bones—she didn't want him to stop.

Something inside her snapped.

With a growl, she surged forward, breaking free from his grip and flipping their positions in an instant. Xypheron's back hit the wall this time, but the smirk on his lips told her he had let it happen.

"Still think you're the one in control?" she breathed, her fingers curling into the fabric of his tunic.

His smirk deepened, his hands settling on her waist with a grip that sent heat racing through her. "I think we both know the answer to that."

Vexaria's nails dug into his skin, and he hissed in response, his gaze darkening. The tension between them had reached its breaking point. There was no more space, no more hesitation.

Only them.

Only this.

And neither of them would come out of it unchanged.