Perfect. Chapter 9 will take place later that same night. Ethan is battered from his public punishment, and Ren is quietly as
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Chapter 9: Cracks in the Wolf
Night returned.
The pain from the whipping still burned across Ethan's back, sharp and raw, but dulled beneath the system's low hum—his body was healing faster now. Barely.
Ren was curled beside him again, gentle and silent. Earlier that evening, he'd wiped blood off Ethan's neck with the corner of his shirt, fingers trembling, eyes glassy.
"I don't want to see you like that again," he had whispered.
Ethan had just nodded. No promises.
Now, Ren was asleep. Face tucked against Ethan's arm. Soft breaths. Dreaming of anything but this place.
Then—
Boots. Quiet. Approaching the cell.
Ethan opened his eyes, already knowing.
Elias.
Again.
The man stood in shadow just beyond the bars, arms folded, silent. The firelight made his features look almost statuesque—angular jaw, tight shoulders, blood-stained hands still streaked with coal dust.
He said nothing for a long time.
Neither did Ethan.
Finally, Elias exhaled through his nose. "They should've broken you today."
"They tried," Ethan murmured, voice rough. "Couldn't."
Elias glanced at Ren. His lip curled slightly—but not from disgust.
Confusion.
"They treat that one like a girl. Whisper things when he passes. He's going to get eaten alive."
Ethan's voice dropped to steel. "Not in my presence."
Elias leaned against the bars again. "Why do you care? Is he yours?"
Ethan's eyes narrowed. "Does it matter?"
Elias didn't answer. He seemed… tired. Like he hadn't slept in days.
"Back home," he muttered, "I kept things simple. Fuck or fight. That was it."
His voice dropped.
"But there was this guy. Strong. Dangerous. Always looking like he knew something about me I didn't want to admit."
He scoffed. "I hated him. Wanted to beat his face in. Every time I saw him, I got… angry."
Silence stretched.
Ethan didn't move. Didn't speak.
"But you?" Elias's eyes sharpened. "You look at me the same way. Calm. Not afraid. Like you already know how this ends."
Ethan tilted his head slightly. "Do I?"
Elias stepped forward—too close. Fingers wrapping the bars.
"You scare me," he growled.
"Good."
"But not in the way I thought."
That silenced both of them.
Ethan watched the tension ripple across Elias's shoulders—the twitch in his jaw, the crack in the mask.
"You can't control me," Elias said, almost as if trying to convince himself.
"I don't have to," Ethan murmured. "You're already breaking."
> [Elias Vahn — Compatibility: 48% → 56%]
[Internal resistance failing. Conflict reaching critical threshold.]
[Dominance Spike: Host is recognized as emotionally superior. Target unsure how to respond.]
Elias didn't move.
His breath came slower now, heavier.
"I should walk away," he muttered.
Ethan just looked at him. "Then walk."
The silence that followed was electric.
Then—
Elias turned. Walked off into the dark.
He didn't look back.
But his fists were clenched.
And his stride?
Uneven.
> [Conversion Progress: Initiated — Elias Vahn]
[Estimated timeline: 3–5 emotional collisions. Subject vulnerable to disarming strength and ambiguous care.]
Ethan sat back, exhaling slowly.
Ren stirred slightly in his sleep.
And Ethan, staring into the dark where Elias had vanished, felt the power shift again.
He wasn't chasing control anymore.
It was coming to him.
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