𝑻𝑶 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑶𝑵𝑬𝑺 𝑾𝑬 𝑶𝑵𝑪𝑬 𝑳𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑫 || 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐒 (ON HIATUS)

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟷

FIVE'S POV

The pain shot through my side, sharp and relentless. Every step felt like fire crawling through my veins, but I forced myself to keep moving. We’d gotten away, but barely. I glanced at Y/N from the corner of my eye. She was quiet, her face pale and drawn with worry, though she tried to hide it.

Damn it. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

We weren’t far from the village now, but every step felt like it was dragging me further away from control. The wound in my side—deep enough to bleed heavily, but not fatal if I could get it treated—was slowing me down. I had calculated the odds a hundred times before going after those men, and yet here I was, paying for a misstep I never should have made.

“Five,” Y/N’s voice broke through the haze of pain. “We should stop.”

“No,” I gritted out, pushing forward. “We don’t have time.”

Her eyes flicked to my side, where blood had soaked through my shirt, and then back to my face. “You’re hurt. Badly.”

“I’ll live.”

Her expression hardened, something close to anger flashing in her eyes. “That’s not the point. If you keep pushing like this—”

“I said I’ll live, Y/N.” My voice came out sharper than I intended. The last thing I wanted was for her to see me like this—weak, vulnerable. But I could tell from the look in her eyes that she wasn’t going to let it go.

She stepped in front of me, blocking my path. I blinked, stopping abruptly to avoid running into her. For a moment, we just stood there, facing each other. The concern in her gaze was unmistakable, and it made something tighten in my chest.

“Five,” she said, her voice softer now, but firm. “You saved my life. Let me help you.”

I swallowed hard, not wanting to admit that I needed help. I’d spent decades relying on no one but myself. But the truth was, I wasn’t going to make it much farther on my own. Not like this.

“Fine,” I muttered, too exhausted to argue further.

She nodded, her expression softening, and called to Alex. “We need to get him back to the village.”

Alex, who had been scouting ahead, quickly came over. His eyes widened when he saw the blood soaking my shirt, but he didn’t say anything. He just nodded and took Y/N’s lead.

I leaned heavily on Alex as we made our way back, though every fiber of my being hated it. I wasn’t used to relying on anyone. But Y/N... there was something about her that made it feel different. Made it feel like maybe, just for once, it was okay to let someone else help. She stayed close, glancing at me every few moments, her face tight with worry, and I could see it—those sparks between us, growing stronger despite the chaos.

The village came into view, small and quiet in the twilight. Y/N rushed ahead to speak with a healer, her voice urgent but calm. The way she handled it, taking charge with such grace, made me pause for a moment, despite the pain clouding my mind. She was no longer the sheltered princess I’d met only days ago. She was stronger, more resilient than I’d realized.

Before I knew it, they had me sitting in a dimly lit cottage, the healer working quickly to assess the damage. Y/N hovered close by, her fingers twisting in her dress as she watched with wide eyes. The healer pulled back my shirt, revealing the ugly gash across my side, and I saw Y/N flinch.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, even though I wasn’t sure I believed it myself.

Y/N didn’t respond. She just gave me a look—one that said she didn’t believe me, but she wasn’t going to argue.