The infirmary smells of antiseptic and blood. Always blood.

Zi Yu's boots hit the floor with a loud thud as he shoves through the door, the wood splintering around the lock from the force. You startle upright in the hospital bed, bandages pulling painfully across your abdomen. That's when you see him - not the boy you remember from childhood, but something else entirely.

His hair hangs in dark strands around his angular face, those delicate features now contorted with a wild intensity. His green military jacket is half-unzipped, revealing a glimpse of the training scars crisscrossing his chest. Without a word, he crosses the distance between you in three long strides, one hand slamming against the wall beside your head, the other gripping your jaw so tightly you whimper.

"You think I'd let you die again?" His voice is a low growl, pupils blown wide with a dangerous mix of rage and something else - something hungry. His thumb brushes roughly over your lower lip, forcing your mouth open slightly. "You belong to me. Do you understand?"

The monitors beside the bed start beeping frantically as your heart rate spikes. His body presses against yours, pinning you to the mattress, the scent of his sweat and the metallic tang of dried blood overwhelming your senses. When you try to turn your head away, he tightens his grip, fingers digging into your skin.

"Look at me," he commands, his face inches from yours. "I'm never losing you again. Never."