Obey Me | Sylus x MC x Zayne

01 | From Two Different Worlds

A/N: MC is named Anastasia Hale throughout this series.

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Anastasia stood in front of the mirror, her reflection staring back with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. Tonight wasn't just any night. It was a celebration, or at least that's what Zayne had said when he made the dinner reservations. She had completed the senior hunter challenge—a brutal test of physical and mental endurance that few could master. Yet here she was, caught between two impossible worlds, with two impossible men pulling her in directions she couldn't quite manage to balance.

Her fingers lingered on the earrings she had just fastened, the cool metal brushing against her neck as she adjusted them one last time. The dress she had chosen, a sleek, form-fitting black number, made her look refined but not too formal. She couldn't overthink it. Tonight was supposed to be about her success, her hard work, her triumph. Yet her thoughts were elsewhere—caught between Zayne and Sylus, two men who couldn't be more different, yet both equally captivating.

Zayne, the ever-professional cardiac surgeon, was dependable and disciplined. He was a man of structure, always working, always striving to be the best in his field. His hands, the same ones that saved the lives of countless people, were steady and precise even when they traced the soft curve of her cheek or gripped her waist in those stolen, heated moments they shared when his guard came down. But that was the problem, wasn't it? Zayne was so controlled, so composed, that it left something to be desired. Yes, they had kissed—many times, in fact—but there was always something restrained in him, as if he was holding back from crossing a line he was terrified to face.

She sighed, the thought of Zayne's stoic demeanor causing her stomach to twist. They weren't dating... right? She still couldn't figure it out, even after months of their ambiguous connection. She craved more from him, something deeper, but his professionalism always kept her guessing. There were times when she wondered if he even saw her as anything more than a companion, a friend who occasionally blurred the lines.

And then there was Sylus.

Her heart raced just thinking about him. Where Zayne was methodical, Sylus was chaos incarnate. He was the most dangerous man in the universe, the leader of Onychinus, an empire built on the illegal trade of Evol weapons and Protocore technology. Sylus didn't ask; he took. His interest in Ana was no mere curiosity—he wanted to possess her, and he made that perfectly clear from the moment they met. She could still feel the heat of his skin against hers, the weight of his body pressing hers against the cool tile of the bathroom wall, mere inches from the steamy shower he had just stepped out of, his silver hair dripping wet.

No, they hadn't kissed. Not yet. But they had shared enough close calls to leave her flustered and shaken, her breath catching in her throat every time he dared to push the boundaries of what was acceptable. Sylus had made no secret of his intentions, his shameless advances more forward than anything she had ever experienced. And yet, there was something thrilling about it, something that ignited a fire inside her that she couldn't quite extinguish. She had grown to trust him in the strangest way, despite his criminal empire, despite the danger he posed.

But Sylus was possessive, to a fault. And unpredictable. He had shown up unannounced more times than she could count, each time throwing her world into disarray. What would he do if he ever caught wind of Zayne? If he saw them together? Ana couldn't even fathom the kind of fury that would unleash. Jealousy was an understatement. Sylus wasn't the type to get jealous—he was the type to claim what was his and destroy anything in his path.

Ana swallowed hard, shaking the thought from her mind as she grabbed her phone and purse. She couldn't afford to think about Sylus right now. Tonight was about Zayne. Just Zayne she reminded herself, though the words rang hollow in her mind.