Jade

"Please don't," I whispered, tears slipping hot down my cheeks. My breaths came heavy as I stared at the page, drowning in the story I'd been obsessing over—this book I felt unnaturally connected to.

I was losing my mind.

Selene. The princess who couldn't tell right from wrong if it kissed her on the crown. She was sweet, innocent, and lovely... but her choices made me want to scream.

Then there was Draven—the kingdom's bastard. A demon born from the kingdom's darkest emotions, with just the faintest trace of good. Power-hungry, silver-tongued, fooling Selene and her people into believing he was their savior. I could see through him—mostly because I was the reader, but still.

And Caelum. The angel shaped from the kingdom's brightest hopes, laced with shadows. Endlessly misunderstood, scrutinized for sins he never committed. Gullible. Lied to again and again.

The three of them tangled in a love triangle—if you could even call it that.

Caelum, cursed never to be bound to the girl he loved, hopelessly devoted to Selene. Selene, blindly in love with Draven. And Draven, cursed to be tied to a girl he didn't want, lusting not for her heart but for the power she held.

A sob tore from me as I reached the chapter's breaking point. Draven pulled Selene close, whispering lies against her lips while she fell deeper under his spell. In the shadows, Caelum watched—the devil stealing the girl he'd loved for centuries right before his eyes.

He didn't deserve this.

“Fuck,” Draven hissed, lips still tingling from hers. He felt it—the slow pull, the fading. His curse was kicking in.“Just when I got close to tasting you.” His words brushed against Selene's ears, and she, clueless as ever, flushed pink.

I paused my reading, physically cringing at their so-called romance. But putting the book down however, just wasn't an option. My pulse thudded like I was the one in Caelum's shoes.

“What do you mean, master?” Selene's voice was soft, almost breathless. She rose onto her toes, hungry to have a feel of his lips.

"Caelum, look away," I muttered, fingers digging into the pages. But of course, he didn't. He couldn't hear me. If he could, I wouldn't let him keep feeding this obsession.

Draven leaned back, the curse now fully in control, his form dissolving before her eyes. The instant his touch vanished, she stumbled forward, scanning the empty space.
“Draven!” Her voice cracked with panic.

“Things might get more complicated from here, my love. If you truly love me, you won't let my curse break us apart. You won't let Caelum steal you from me.” His voice slithered through the room.

"Manipulative bastard," I spat, my tears drying in an instant. My pity for Caelum was gone—replaced by a full, seething hatred for the devil himself.

“Caelum can never come between us. I swear it,” Selene whispered into the silence.

Caelum's heart shattered—for the third time that week. The crushing weight of irrelevance settled over him, hope withering until he slipped back into that familiar, suffocating nothingness.

That was it.

"Selene, you idiot!" I yelled, yanking the page from its spine. The paper sliced my finger, a sharp sting blooming before a bead of blood smeared onto the words. I squeezed the page in my fist and hurled it against the wall.

"I'm done with this book," I muttered, tossing it aside. I ran my fingers across the tangle of blankets on my bed, scanning for my phone.

I needed someone to hear this rant before I combusted.

"Where is it?" I muttered, pushing myself off the bed, ignoring the strange current curling through my chest. I crossed to my desk, heart still heavy, rifling through clutter—nothing.

The feeling grew. Not just strange anymore—magnetic.

And then the paranoia hit.
I wasn't alone.

A shiver crawled up my spine as I turned toward the corner where I'd thrown the torn page. It was gone.

"So you're still alive?"
The voice was deep, smooth, and far too close.

I flinched hard, breath catching as I snatched the pen from my desk, clutching it like a knife before turning and pointing it to defend myself.

Then I saw him.

My gaze hit a broad, solid chest—too wide, too still. Whatever he was, he was tall. Not just in a human way, but in a way that felt... wrong.

Tears blurred my vision as I tilted my head back. Yellow eyes met mine, burning with amusement. His dry chuckle scraped along my nerves as he leaned in, fingers curling gently around the pen to push it aside. The grin never left his face, all sly menace, revealing his fangs.

"Tell me..." His hand cupped my cheek, coaxing my head up as my tears slid hot down my skin. His fingertip traced my jaw slowly, the magnetic pull in my chest swelling until it swallowed my thoughts. "How did you figure out how to summon me again?"

What's he talking about?

Am I going to die today?

"How many times do I have to break up with you before you finally give up, Aurelia?" His voice dropped into something sharper, his grip on my chin suddenly rough.

What did he just call me?

Pain flared as I clawed at his wrist, trying to pry him off. "Wr—ong pers—on," I gasped, but he didn't care.

"How did you summon me?" he repeated, voice like steel, completely unmoved by my struggle.

"I don— know," I choked out, the ache spreading through me. "What—who are y—ou?"

The moment the question left my mouth, his grip loosened. Irritation melted into amusement.

I clutched my jaw, wincing at the tender spot where his fingers had been. My fear twisted into a strange mix of anger as I met his gaze again.

"So, you reincarnated... I'm guessing?" His head tilted, the movement casual, curious. "A human," he added with a faint chuckle. "Unlucky you. You always hated those.",  he flicked my forehead.

The sting snapped my head back, humiliation flaring hot. If I didn't value my life, I might have driven the pen in my hand straight into his throat—but fear held me still.

"What name do you go by here?" he asked. The grin faded, replaced by something softer—almost warm—as his gaze swept over me.

I hesitated, mind scrambling for an escape, but nothing came. My lips trembled. "Jade—"

"Aurelia," he cut in, voice dipping into something unnervingly gentle. "You're Aurelia."

Sweat slid down my spine as I instinctively stepped back—only for him to close the gap, his hand slipping beneath my jaw to tilt my face up. My pulse roared in my ears as he studied me, breath warm against my skin.

"You've forgotten, haven't you? Everything you put me through." His voice was low, steady—almost tender, but heavy with something darker. He leaned in slowly. My hands curled into fists, the fear of what he might do coiling tight in my chest.

He stopped just short of my lips, his mouth shifting to my ear instead. His whisper sent a cold jolt down my spine.

"Does this name ring a bell?" A pause. "Draven."

My jaw slackened as the realization hit—this man, whatever he was, bore an uncanny resemblance to the character in the book I'd been reading. My mind flashed to the last scene I'd read, disbelief coiling around me.

I have to be dreaming.

He leaned back, a small frown tugging at his mouth as his eyes searched my face for a reaction.
"You're so quiet. It's unlike you."

"I don't know you—" I started, but he groaned, tipping his head back like he couldn't bear to hear another word.

"Whatever. Let's get this over with," he muttered, disappointment curling through his tone. "I can't be in separate universes from the girl I'm bound to, so I'll have to unbind myself from you."

His words landed like a weight, confirming my suspicion. This was Draven—from the book. His looks matched the description perfectly. So did his aggravating behavior.

Oddly, the realization made me relax—slightly. At least I knew something about him. He might hurt me, but if the rules from the story still applied, being bound to him meant he couldn't kill me.

But how the hell had this happened?

The small sting in my finger reminded me of the paper cut I'd gotten earlier.
That answered one question.

I accidentally summoned a demon who was never supposed to leave the page.

I frowned, wishing it had been Caelum instead. I'd kill for a conversation with him, not this asshole.

I stayed silent, watching Draven's gaze drift over me. There was a haze to his expression, like he couldn't believe what was happening.

He thinks I'm Aurelia. That strange name I've never heard before. And apparently, he dated her... or is still dating her? I'm not sure.

I bit back a curse, irritation twisting in my chest as the realisation dawned on me.

Great! He gave me a spoiler.

He exhaled slowly, stepping back, his lips parting as his eyes swept over me one last time. I knew what was coming next. If I remembered the lore correctly, unbinding from your partner was as simple as a breakup—you just said the words, and the bond snapped.

"Since you don't remember anything, I'm assuming you won't cause too much trouble for me this time," he said, hesitating for only a moment before forcing the words out. "I'm breaking up with you, Aurelia."

I stood still, head tilted, waiting for something—anything—magical to happen. After several seconds of awkward silence, nothing did.

"Uh—" I started.

"Say you accept it, illiterate," he snapped, irritation dripping from every syllable.

My frown deepened. His attitude was grating. I opened my mouth, ready to accept just to get him out of my sight, when a thought stopped me cold.

Caelum.

If I don't accept, Draven would have a harder time winning Selene over. Maybe Caelum would have a chance.

"Hesitation?" Draven's smirk sharpened, like he could read the thought straight from my skull. "That's my girl," he murmured under his breath before immediately taking my hand.

"What are you—?" I tried to jerk away, to put as much distance between us as possible, but before I could react, a dark portal ripped open in the air. It yawned wide, sucking us both in.

I screamed, his low chuckles chasing me as we were pulled through, the force dragging me into a crushing darkness until light spilled ahead.

"Watch your step," Draven's voice echoed from somewhere in front of me, I felt his hand slip from mine.

I clamped my mouth shut, bracing myself. The portal spat me out with brutal force, and I collided with someone solid. We hit the ground hard.

My eyes flew open, locking onto a pair of glacial blue eyes filled with confusion. Pain shot through my body, and yet the same magnetic pull I'd felt toward Draven now dragged me toward him. My stomach twisted, my chest heavy.

“Caelum?” The name left my lips in a trembling whisper.

His expression shifted instantly—confusion hardening into anger. Behind it, something far worse: pure hatred and raw hurt. The sight burned straight through me.
“Aurelia,” he said, and my breath caught.

The sound of his voice cracked open a memory that didn't belong in my head.

Caelum's voice, breaking—pleading.
“Aure, please.”

That did it. My resolve shattered.
"I accept," I whispered, breathless.

“No—” Draven lunged for me, but before his fingers reached, the world blinked.

I was back on my bed, the book in my lap, tears streaking my cheeks for reasons I couldn't begin to name.