A DANGEROUS GAME

The silence in the grand hall of the old manor stretched between them like a taut rope, ready to snap.

Xander saw the flicker of uncertainty in Edmund's eyes, the way his smirk had faltered just slightly. For the first time, the man who had taken everything from him wasn't as sure of his own power which meant only one thing.

Edmund was vulnerable, and Xander had no intention of letting that advantage go to waste.

Edmund recovered quickly, smoothing his expression into one of practiced arrogance. He took a slow step forward, his boots echoing in the empty space. "Tell me, Xander, what is it you really want?"

Xander tilted his head, keeping his stance casual even as his muscles coiled with tension. "I think you already know."

Edmund's smirk returned, but there was something forced about it now. "Ah. You're still clinging to that foolish idea that you can take back what was never yours."

Xander's eyes darkened. "It was never yours to begin with."

The air between them crackled. Ella stood slightly behind Xander, her body tense. She could feel the shift in the room, the moment when words would no longer be enough.

Edmund exhaled, shaking his head as if he were scolding a wayward child. "You should've taken my offer, brother. Now, I'm afraid, things will have to get… unpleasant."

At his words, the doors on either side of the hall creaked open. Two guards entered from each side, hands resting on the hilts of their swords.

Xander's jaw clenched. He had expected a trap, Edmund was predictable that way, but he hadn't expected him to make his move so soon.

Luca, who had been lingering near the entrance, straightened, his fingers twitching near his own weapon.

Ella took a slow, steadying breath. She was unarmed, but that didn't mean she was defenseless.

Edmund smiled, pleased with himself. "You see, Xander, I've been waiting for this moment for years. You were supposed to stay gone. You were supposed to fade into nothing. But you didn't."

His eyes flickered to Ella. "And now you have something to lose."

Xander's hand twitched at his side. He wanted to lunge, to wipe that smirk off Edmund's face, but he forced himself to stay still.

"You're making a mistake," Xander said, his voice dangerously calm.

Edmund chuckled. "Am I?" He gestured lazily to the guards. "Kill him."

The Battle Begins

The moment Edmund gave the order, chaos erupted.

Xander moved first, drawing his sword in one fluid motion. The nearest guard lunged, but Xander sidestepped, slamming his fist into the man's jaw before twisting his blade into a lethal arc.

Luca had already engaged another, his movements precise and efficient.

Ella ducked as a guard lunged for her, sidestepping quickly. She had no weapon, but she didn't need one, she needed an opening.

Xander fought with a fury he hadn't felt in years. This was it. The moment he had been waiting for. He wouldn't lose, not now.

Steel clashed against steel, the sound ringing through the grand hall. Xander parried a blow, then drove his blade through his opponent's side.

Ella had managed to keep her attacker at bay, using the overturned chairs as barriers between them. As the man lunged again, she grabbed the heavy candleholder from a nearby table and swung it with all her strength.

The metal cracked against his skull, and he crumpled to the ground.

She turned just in time to see another guard rushing toward Xander's unprotected back.

Her heart lurched. "No".

Without thinking, she grabbed the fallen guard's sword and threw it.

Xander caught it midair and drove it backward without looking, impaling the man behind him. Their eyes met across the battlefield. For a moment, everything else disappeared.

She had saved him. And he had never wanted her more.

A Fateful Decision

The last guard fell, and suddenly, it was just the three of them left standing, Xander, Ella, and Edmund.

Edmund's expression had finally shifted from amusement to something colder. "Impressive," he admitted, dusting off his sleeve. "But you're still outnumbered."

Xander scoffed. "By whom? The dead?"

Edmund's lips curled. "You think this is over?"

Xander stepped forward, blood staining the sleeve of his shirt. "It's over if you surrender."

Edmund chuckled darkly. "You think I would ever kneel to you?"

Xander's voice was steady. "No. But you will regret not taking the chance."

Edmund's eyes flickered to Ella again, calculating. "She makes you weak, you know."

Xander didn't blink. "No. She makes me unstoppable."

Before Edmund could react, Xander lunged.

Their blades met with a vicious clash, the force of the impact shaking through both of them. Edmund was skilled, but Xander was fueled by something stronger than hatred.

He was fighting for his future. For Ella, For everything Edmund had tried to steal from him.

Their battle was fast and brutal, each strike, each dodge shows a reflection of years of resentment and betrayal.

Finally, Xander found his opening. With a swift, precise movement, he disarmed Edmund, sending his sword clattering to the floor. Edmund stumbled back, chest heaving, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Xander raised his blade. "Yield."

For the first time, Edmund looked afraid. But instead of surrendering, he snarled, "You'll never get rid of me."

Xander exhaled, lowering his sword just slightly. "Then I'll make sure you never stand in my way again."

Edmund took a step back, then another. And then he ran. Xander didn't chase him. Not yet.

He turned to Ella, his breath uneven. She was safe. That was all that mattered. Their eyes met, and without thinking, he closed the distance between them. His hands found her face, and then his lips crashed against hers.

Ella gasped against his mouth, but then she was kissing him back, her fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him closer. The fire that had been smoldering between them for weeks ignited, consuming them both.

Xander's hands slid down her back, pressing her against him as if he could fuse them together. Ella clung to him, her heart hammering, her body burning where he touched her.

When they finally broke apart, their foreheads rested together, breathless.

Ella whispered, "What now?"

Xander's thumb traced her cheek. "Now?" His lips brushed against hers again, softer this time. "Now, I take back everything that's mine."