Elara didn't sleep that night.
Not because Zen scared her — okay, maybe a bit — but mostly because her brain wouldn't shut up. Her life was basically a dumpster fire, and now there was a devil involved. And not just any devil — a tall, annoyingly attractive one with trust issues and eyes like silver lightning.
And now… he was in her head.
Worse than a bad ex. At least exes couldn't teleport.
She paced her room for the fifth time when she noticed something weird. The mirror.
It was foggy. But not from steam. And there was writing on it — slowly forming like a finger dragging across the glass from inside.
"Don't trust him."
Her heart dropped.
She blinked once. Twice. The words disappeared.
Elara ran to the mirror and wiped it with her sleeve. Nothing. Just her face staring back, wide-eyed and pale.
Great. Now the furniture was warning her.
⸻
The next day, Elara dragged herself to the university library. Not to study — obviously — but to dig through ancient junk that might explain why she was being haunted by cryptic messages and fireboys from hell.
She found a dusty section labelled Occult & Forgotten Lore. Jackpot.
One book in particular called out to her — literally. The second she touched it, she felt a zap run through her fingers, like static but deeper. Magical. Or cursed.
She opened the book and skimmed until a heading made her freeze:
"The Curse of the Fallen Flame."
Below it: a drawing. A girl with green eyes wrapped in fire. And beside her, a devil with eyes like mirrors.
Her breath hitched.
The story said that once every century, a girl from the bloodline of Vance would carry a dormant curse — one tied to love, death, and the underworld. And if she ever fell in love with a being of hell, the curse would awaken… and open a gate between realms.
A portal to hell.
Elara slammed the book shut.
Nope.
Not doing this.
Not gonna fall for a devil.
She was smarter than that.
…
Right?
⸻
That night, Zen came again.
Not into her room — this time, her dream.
He stood in a burning field, surrounded by shadows. His back was to her, but somehow, he knew she was there.
"You found it, didn't you?" he said without turning.
"The curse," Elara whispered.
He turned slowly. His expression was unreadable, but something in his eyes looked… sad.
"I didn't want you to know. Not yet."
"But it's real."
Zen nodded. "Your blood carries power that could destroy both our worlds."
"Then why are you still here?" she asked. "Why keep coming back?"
He didn't answer right away.
Then, softly, "Because I was supposed to ruin you. Not… care about you."
She blinked.
"What?"
Before he could say anything else, the fire around them flared — and a second figure stepped out of the smoke.
Another man.
But not like Zen.
This one was taller. Sharper. More cruel-looking. His smile was made of glass and poison.
"Well, well," he said, eyeing Elara like a meal. "So this is the girl that made the mighty Zen weak."
Zen growled low. Protective. Dangerous.
Elara looked between them. "Who the hell is that?"
The stranger bowed mockingly. "Name's Kade. I'm the devil who doesn't fall in love."
He winked. "But I might make an exception for you, sweetheart."
Zen stepped forward. "Stay away from her."
Kade raised an eyebrow. "Jealous, brother?"
Elara's eyes widened. "Brother?!"
Kade smirked. "Half. Don't worry — I'm the better one."
The dream began to crack, like glass shattering around them.
Zen grabbed Elara's hand.
"Wake up," he said. "Now."
⸻
She woke up screaming.
Sweating. Heart pounding.
And clutching something in her fist.
A feather. Black. Burning at the edges.
Real.
⸻
The next morning, Elara couldn't stop thinking about it.
Two devils.
A cursed bloodline.
And a choice that might destroy everything.
She sat on her bed, holding the feather. It didn't burn her skin, but it pulsed — like it was alive. Connected.
Her phone buzzed.
Text from Unknown Number again.
"He's not the only one watching you."
Elara's hands trembled.
Who was sending these?
Why her?
She got up and opened her window, letting the cold air rush in. Trying to breathe. Trying to think.
And then — a voice behind her.
"You dream loud."
She turned.
Zen.
Again.
"You were there," she said, staring. "In my dream."
"It wasn't just a dream," he said. "It was a crossing point. Between here and… there."
"You mean hell?"
He nodded once. "That was Kade."
"Your brother."
"Half-brother," he corrected. "He's worse than me."
"Not exactly comforting," she muttered.
Zen stepped closer. His eyes were softer than usual.
"I never wanted you to be part of this."
"Then why am I?"
"Because fate's a twisted thing," he said. "And love makes it worse."
There it was again.
That word.
Love.
It hung in the air like smoke. Dangerous. Flammable.
"I don't love you," Elara said quickly.
Zen smiled — a little too sadly.
"I know. But you might. And that's the problem."
She swallowed hard.
"Is that why you came?" she asked. "To stop me from falling for you?"
He looked at her for a long time. Then shook his head.
"No."
"Then why?"
He reached out, gently touching her hand.
"Because… I think I'm already falling."
…
Elara froze.
No. Nope. This couldn't be happening.
A literal devil was falling for her? What was she supposed to do with that information? Frame it? Post it on Twitter? Cry?
"Zen," she whispered, "you don't… mean that."
"I do."
His voice was calm, steady. Like he wasn't just casually flipping her whole world upside down.
Elara took a step back, her heart racing. "This is insane. You don't even know me."
"I know enough."
"Well, clearly not enough to realize I'm a walking disaster with emotional damage and no filter."
Zen chuckled softly. "Maybe that's why I can't stay away."
Oh no. No, no, no. He was doing the voice. The smooth one. The dangerous one.
She crossed her arms, trying to look unimpressed. "Do all devils flirt like this? Or is it just a 'you' problem?"
He tilted his head, amused. "Only when we're in trouble."
"You're in so much trouble."
"I know."
Silence stretched between them.
Thick. Loaded. Strange.
Something in the air shifted. Like the space around them had turned heavier. Warmer.
Elara noticed his eyes again — silver and stormy. But not cold. Not like before.
And the weirdest part?
She wasn't scared.
Not like she should be.
Her phone buzzed again.
Another message.
From the same unknown number.
"You're not the only one he's lied to."
Elara stared at it. Her stomach twisted.
Zen noticed.
"What is it?"
She showed him the screen.
His jaw clenched. "That's not from Kade."
"Then who?"
"I don't know," he said tightly. "But whoever it is… they're watching both of us."
That should've made her panic. But instead… it made her curious.
"What else aren't you telling me?" she asked.
Zen looked away. His shoulders stiffened.
"There's more, isn't there?"
"…Yes."
"Then tell me."
He sighed, finally meeting her gaze again. "Your bloodline — the Vance line — it was cursed for a reason. Your ancestors made a pact with one of the oldest devils in existence. A blood promise."
"What kind of promise?"
"One that bound your love… to power. And death."
Elara's mind blanked for a second. "I'm sorry — what now?"
"If you fall in love with a devil, the curse triggers. But if he falls for you first… the curse becomes unstable."
She blinked. "Unstable how?"
Zen hesitated.
"Elara… I'm not supposed to feel anything. Devils don't love. Not really. But whatever's happening to me — it's not normal. I'm changing. And it's because of you."
Her brain was officially broken.
"I… I don't know what to do with that," she said honestly.
"You don't have to do anything. Just… stay alive. Please."
"You make it sound like that's going to be hard."
He didn't answer.
And that silence said everything.
—
Later that night, she couldn't sleep.
Again.
She lay on her bed, staring at the feather still on her nightstand. It had stopped burning, but the edges were curled, like it had been kissed by flames and frozen mid-scream.
She picked it up.
It pulsed again.
Almost like a heartbeat.
Her own heart thudded in response. It was probably just adrenaline. Or caffeine. Or maybe she was actually cursed and slowly losing her mind.
Whatever it was… it felt like Zen was part of her now.
And that terrified her more than any curse ever could.
She pulled her blanket tighter.
What was happening to her?
Who was she even becoming?
And why did it feel like part of her didn't want to run?
—
The next day was worse.
She kept seeing shadows in her peripheral vision. Hearing voices that weren't there. Feeling heat on her skin even when it was cold.
Like the line between her world and his was getting thinner.
And in the middle of it all?
Zen.
Showing up at the weirdest moments.
He appeared beside her when she almost got hit by a rogue cyclist.
He was sitting on her balcony when she got home from class.
And once, in the middle of the night, she found him outside her window. Just standing there.
Watching.
Protecting?
Creepy?
Maybe both.
But every time he looked at her, there was this… softness. Like she was something he didn't expect to want.
And maybe couldn't let go.
—
Three days later, everything cracked.
She was in the library again, pretending to study while secretly researching more about her bloodline.
The book she'd read before was gone.
Like it never existed.
Instead, another book slid off the shelf by itself.
She picked it up.
"The Mirror Between Realms."
Inside: pages of drawings, names, symbols. Warnings.
One phrase repeated over and over in red ink.
"Trust will burn you."
She slammed it shut, her breath shallow.
Then — she felt him.
Zen.
Behind her.
"Elara," he said quietly.
She turned.
He looked different. Tired. Distant.
"What's wrong?"
"There's something you need to see."
—
They teleported — or whatever it was he did — to an abandoned cathedral covered in ash and vines.
Inside: a mirror. Huge. Cracked.
Reflections danced across it — not real ones. Visions.
She saw herself.
Then Zen.
Then… both of them.
But in the reflection, she was crying.
Bleeding.
Zen was screaming.
The ground split beneath them.
And fire swallowed everything.
She backed away. "What is this?"
"The future," Zen said. "If we don't stop this."
Her voice cracked. "Then stop caring about me."
"I can't."
"Then this curse will kill us both."
He looked at her, a storm in his eyes.
"Then let it."
Elara pulled her hand back like his touch burned.
Which, let's be real, it should've. He was a devil.
But it didn't. Not really. It was… warm. Calming. Like sinking into a storm and somehow not drowning.
She hated it.
"You can't just say things like that," she muttered, pacing away from him. "You're — you're not even human. You don't get to fall for people."
Zen stayed quiet. Just watching her like she was some complicated spell he couldn't crack.
"I didn't plan to," he said softly. "It just… happened."
"That's not comforting," she snapped. "You're literally built to destroy, and now you're what — catching feelings?"
He shrugged one shoulder. "I didn't say it made sense."
Elara turned, frustration bubbling up. "This is insane. I'm a university student who can't even pass her history class and suddenly I'm cursed, possibly in love with a devil, and being stalked by his creepy glass-smile brother."
Zen raised an eyebrow. "Don't forget the mirror warning."
"Oh, right! And the haunted furniture!"
She groaned and collapsed onto her bed, burying her face in her hands. "I'm going insane."
Zen didn't move. Didn't say anything. Just stood there, a silent storm in her room.
After a long pause, he said, "You're not going insane."
She looked up. "How would you know?"
"Because if you were, I wouldn't be here."
"You could just be a hallucination."
"I could." He smiled faintly. "But I'm not."
Elara narrowed her eyes. "Prove it."
Zen blinked. "What?"
"Prove you're real. Do something. Anything."
He stared at her for a second, then slowly walked to her desk, picked up her pen, and snapped it in half with one hand.
"Hey!" she yelped. "That was my favourite pen!"
"You said do anything."
"Ugh. You're the worst."
Zen smirked, clearly amused. "Still think I'm a hallucination?"
She threw a pillow at him. It passed right through.
Wait.
No, it didn't.
He caught it.
With one hand.
And tossed it back, hitting her square in the face.
"I hate you," she grumbled into the pillow.
"No, you don't."
She peeked over it. "Don't tell me how I feel."
Zen walked closer, his expression more serious now. "Then tell me. Right now. What do you feel?"
She froze.
What did she feel?
Confused. Terrified. Curious. Attracted. Dangerous combo.
She looked at him — at the silver in his eyes, the slight furrow in his brows, like he was bracing himself for her answer. Like it mattered.
And that was the problem.
It did.
"I feel like… I'm standing on the edge of something," she whispered. "And if I fall, I don't know who I'll be anymore."
Zen nodded slowly. "That's how it starts."
"How what starts?"
He leaned in, voice barely above a breath.
"The fall."
And just like that, the air between them shifted again.
Not romantic.
Not sweet.
Just… real.
Like two broken things recognizing each other for the first time.
Elara's heartbeat refused to chill.
She opened her mouth to say something — anything — but her phone buzzed again.
Same Unknown Number.
New message: "He's lying."
She showed it to Zen.
He frowned. "That's not from me."
"No kidding."
"Whoever it is… they're close. Close enough to see this moment."
Chills climbed her spine. She looked around the room. Nothing. But something felt off.
Zen stepped closer, more protective now.
"Stay away from mirrors," he said. "They're not always just glass."
"Great," she muttered. "Guess I'll brush my teeth in the dark now."
"I'm serious, Elara."
"I know." She sighed. "I just… I don't know who to trust anymore. You, your brother, the mirror, my own freaking heart."
Zen looked away, like her words hit a nerve.
Then he said, "Trust the part of you that's still scared."
She tilted her head. "Why?"
"Because fear keeps you alive. Love… doesn't always."
That stung more than she expected.
But deep down, she knew he was right.
Love was risky. Especially when devils were involved.
And yet, despite everything — the curse, the feather, the dream, the warnings — she couldn't stop the ache in her chest when he said that.
Because part of her wanted to fall.
Even if it meant falling hard.
Even if it meant burning.
Zen's fingers brushed against hers, and the moment they touched, it was like a surge of something ancient, something loud but silent, passed through her skin and straight to her bones.
Elara pulled her hand back. "Don't," she whispered.
He froze.
"I'm not some prophecy," she said, voice shaking. "I'm not your fate, or your curse, or your salvation. I'm just—"
"A girl with fire in her blood," Zen interrupted. "And a choice that could end everything."
Her chest tightened.
"You think I asked for this?" she said, stepping back. "You show up in flames, drag me into your war, then say you're falling for me like it's some romantic tragedy—"
"It's not a tragedy yet," Zen cut in, softer. "But it will be… if Kade finds you first."
Elara's breath caught. "What does he want?"
Zen looked away. "What we all want."
"Which is?"
"You."
The room went silent. Not the peaceful kind — the kind that crackles before a storm.
Zen stepped back. "Kade doesn't want your heart, Elara. He wants your power. The curse. If he bonds with you — even for a second — the gates open. No rituals, no blood moon. Just… chaos."
Her head was spinning. "So I'm a key."
"No." Zen's voice turned sharp. "You're the lock. The last lock. And Kade's been searching for centuries."
Elara paced, her hands shaking. "And you? What were you planning to do?"
Zen's jaw clenched. "I was supposed to weaken you. Break you. Get close, then—"
"Then what?"
"Deliver you to him."
Silence. Heavy. Ugly.
Her heart cracked.
"But I didn't," he added quickly. "I couldn't. You weren't… what I expected."
"And now?" she asked, voice breaking.
He looked at her, and for once, his devil façade slipped. He looked human. Tired. Torn.
"Now I don't know how to stay away."
⸻
That night, Elara locked every door, shut every window, and shoved the burning feather in her drawer like that would somehow help.
It didn't.
At exactly 3:06 a.m., her phone buzzed.
Another text.
"He's lying."
She stared at the screen.
"He's the beginning of the curse, not the end."
⸻
Elara didn't go to class the next day. She wandered instead. Ended up at the old cemetery behind town — the one no one talked about.
The air there felt heavy, like memories soaked into the soil.
She didn't know why she came.
Until she saw him.
Kade.
Leaning against a gravestone like he belonged there. Like he'd been waiting.
"Miss me?" he asked, smirking.
Elara froze. "How—how did you find me?"
"Didn't have to." He tapped his temple. "You think about me more than you realize."
She stepped back. "Stay away."
His grin widened. "I'm not here to hurt you, sweetheart. Just talk."
Elara clenched her fists. "I don't talk to devils."
He laughed. "Then what do you do with them? Because from what I heard, Zen's been getting very close lately."
Her face burned.
"You don't know anything," she snapped.
"Oh, I know everything," Kade said, eyes glowing. "I know he's confused. Torn. Weak. I know he's falling when he shouldn't. And I know… you're starting to fall too."
She didn't answer.
Kade took a step closer. "Let me guess — he told you there's a curse. That loving a devil would open the gates."
She nodded stiffly.
"And he made you think you're the danger."
More nodding.
Kade chuckled darkly. "Typical Zen. Always playing the tragic hero."
Elara frowned. "He's trying to protect me."
"No, darling." Kade's voice dropped. "He's trying to protect himself. Because if the curse activates, he dies too."
Elara blinked. "What?"
"Oh, he didn't tell you that part?" Kade tilted his head. "Of course he didn't. Because deep down, he's not falling for you. He's falling for survival."
The wind howled.
Elara stepped back, mind spiraling.
Kade smiled gently. "But me? I don't fear the curse. I'd burn with you, Elara. I'd burn the whole world just to touch your flame."
Then — he vanished.
Like smoke.
Like he was never there.
⸻
When Elara got home, Zen was already waiting.
She didn't say a word. Just stood in the doorway, shaking.
"You saw him," Zen said.
"You lied to me."
Zen's eyes darkened. "What did he tell you?"
"That if I fall for you, you die."
Silence.
"So it's true?" she asked.
Zen nodded. Slowly. "Yes."
She swallowed. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I wanted more time," he whispered. "Time with you. Time to feel normal. Time to pretend… that maybe this could end differently."
Her eyes stung.
"You were going to use me," she said. "But now you want me to believe you care?"
"I do care."
She stepped forward, voice cold. "Then leave."
Zen flinched.
"I'm not your game," she said. "Not your salvation. I'm done."
Zen's jaw tightened. He looked like he wanted to say something — but didn't.
He just nodded.
And disappeared.
⸻
But that night, Elara couldn't sleep.
Because deep down, a part of her heart didn't believe Zen was the villain.
And an even deeper part was scared…
That she might be.
Elara stood by her window long after Zen left, staring into the night like it could give her answers.
But all she got was silence.
And cold.
And questions she wasn't ready to answer.
What if Kade was right?
What if Zen was just playing her?
What if falling for either of them didn't just risk her heart… but tore the world open?
She looked down at the burning feather she'd pulled back out. It still pulsed faintly in her hand, like a heartbeat that wasn't hers.
She wasn't ready for this war.
Wasn't ready to be the reason between heaven and hell.
But fate didn't care.
And neither did the devils chasing her.
Because no matter what she chose — trust, love, hate, or fear — the game had already begun.
And this time, it wasn't just Zen who wanted her.
It was all of them.