CHAPTER 53: [HOLD HANDS?]

"Okay, so..." Eli kept his voice to a bare whisper, his eyes locked on the unmoving gargoyles. "I’m not sensing danger... not anymore, at least. Maybe... because we’re staring at them."

"So?" Caelen’s voice was equally quiet, golden eyes never leaving the nearest stone beast.

"So... maybe we have to get through them while staring at them." Eli’s tone was careful, deliberate. "Like that one dungeon you cleared—you know, with the dismembered arms on the ground? The trick was to keep your eyes on them until you were past."

From the corner of his vision, Eli caught Caelen’s brow rising.

"You know even that?" Caelen’s tone carried that irritatingly smug edge.

’Seriously? Now?’

"When I said I was a fan, I meant it," Eli hissed. "Now please, stop with the teasing. We’re in a tight spot. We’re not sure if attacking them is safe, but we are sure they don’t move when we’re looking at them."

Ding.

[SYSTEM MISSION UPDATE]

Target’s wariness is lowered.

Once it reaches less than 50%, your mission will be considered a success.

Current wariness level: 70%

’Why is he both predictable and unpredictable at the same time?’

Eli thought grimly. ’Just stroking his ego by saying I’m a fan makes his guard drop?’

He wasn’t sure if he should be pleased that it was that easy... or deeply disappointed in Caelen’s narcissism.

"Right," Caelen said, tone shifting back to business. "Then we try moving forward a few steps, eyes on them. See if they still move."

Eli nodded slowly. "Follow your lead."

Caelen stepped forward once—controlled, measured—and Eli mirrored him.

They both froze. The gargoyles didn’t move.

"I don’t sense danger," Eli said quietly. "This works. Whatever’s ahead... it’s probably the boss, right?" His gut twisted at the thought. It felt too easy.

"It seems likely. Why else would there be more than twenty of them?" Caelen replied without breaking focus.

Eli took a steadying breath. "Okay... then I guess we should—"

Ding.

’Eh?’ His pulse jumped as the system interface flashed into view.

[ADDITIONAL MISSION ASSIGNED]

Mission: HOLD HANDS WITH TARGET [CAELEN].

Status: Active

Duration: Until player has successfully gotten through the threats.

Eli wanted to be furious. He really did.

But after everything the system had thrown at him so far... this didn’t even crack the top ten of shocking requests.

And in theory, it was easy.

In theory.

’God, this is going to be so awkward.’

Clearing his throat, he risked a glance at Caelen. "Caelen, uhm..."

"What?" Caelen’s tone was still calm, eyes forward.

"I... suggest we, uh..." Eli slowly lifted his hand toward him.

Caelen didn’t even blink. "What’s that?"

"I..." Eli faltered. ’Nope. Not easy. This is horrifying.’

He took a deep breath. Then another. His face felt like it was on fire.

"I-I think we should hold hands..."

The silence that followed was crushing.

It wasn’t just quiet—it was the kind of quiet that seemed to press in from all sides, as if even the gargoyles were holding their breath.

If they could even breathe, that is.

’Come on, say something.’ Eli’s jaw clenched, resisting the urge to glance at Caelen and check his expression.

His Danger Detection wasn’t flaring, but his wariness meter still hadn’t budged.

Which was... good? Bad? He honestly didn’t know anymore.

As long as Caelen kept his mouth shut, Eli couldn’t read him—and that was somehow worse than outright hostility.

Then—

"Oh?" Caelen’s tone cut through the silence, light and teasing with an undercurrent of curiosity. "Now, I know you’re a fan, but not the perverted kind."

Heat slammed into Eli’s face like a physical blow.

"N-No! That’s—No..." He stumbled over his words, feeling like every syllable was digging him deeper into a grave. "Just in case something happens, we won’t get separated! There’s... there’s only two of us, and I can’t exactly fight—"

"Mhm?" Caelen’s eyes were still fixed forward, but his lips curved. "I don’t think that’s the reason, though."

"It is

!"

"Do you want me to intertwine our fingers, sweetheart? Can I call you sweetheart?"

The words hit Eli like an arrow to the chest.

His eyes went wide. "S-Sweetheart?! Caelen, please—that’s—you’re completely misunderstanding!" His voice cracked in a way that made him want to curl up and die.

"No need to be shy. I’m quite flattered, even."

Before Eli could protest further, a larger, warmer hand enveloped his own—firm, steady, and annoyingly confident.

Eli froze. His hand was actually shaking.

Caelen’s smirk deepened. "You’re shaking like a little kitten. How adorable."

"Please, stop." Eli’s eye twitched, every muscle in his arm tense.

’I preferred when he was wary of me.’

If this—just holding hands—was already frying his nerves, he couldn’t imagine how he was supposed to survive actually seducing either Caelen or Kairo without dying of sheer mortification first.

Caelen’s grip tightened around Eli’s hand, his low chuckle curling like smoke in the tense air. "Don’t worry—for your sake—I’ll keep it a secret that the son of Noah Ahn has the hots for me."

Eli wanted to groan until his lungs gave out.

And the worst part?

As Lucien Kim, he actually had a crush on both Caelen and Kairo.

Who wouldn’t?

They were both devastatingly handsome, absurdly strong, and—did he mention handsome?

Yes, Eli was weak to a pretty face.

Again—who wouldn’t be?

Even now, knowing exactly how inflated Caelen’s ego was... he was still gorgeous.

Pretty privilege was a disease, and Eli was terminal.

"C-Can we just walk now?" Eli muttered, trying to pull the conversation back on track. "We’re running on a time limit, and we still haven’t found the boss."

"Alright," Caelen replied, tone drenched in amusement. "Stay close to me, sweetheart."

Eli’s eyes went wide, instincts yanking his gaze toward Caelen before his brain could stop him—

—and that was a mistake.

The gargoyles on his side twitched—stone claws scraping faintly against the cracked floor as their massive frames edged forward. The sound shot ice down his spine.

In an instant, Caelen’s free hand was at his head, firmly redirecting his face back toward the statues. The gargoyles froze mid-step, their grotesque features locked in silent menace, now far closer than they had been seconds ago.

"Fuck," Caelen whispered, voice edged with amusement and warning in equal measure. "I know you’re probably dying to look at me, but keep your eyes on the monsters."

Eli swallowed hard, focusing on the nearest gargoyle—its stone wings half-unfurled, as if ready to spring. "I-I’m sorry..."

Caelen released his head, eyes scanning the rest of the corridor. "Let’s go. Walk forward, and don’t look away—no matter what happens. Got it?"

"Yes..."

They took a breath together—synchronizing—before moving. Step by step, their boots crunched over grit and dust, the corridor’s silence pressing like a physical weight. Eli’s pulse thundered in his ears, every nerve tuned to the smallest shift in the statues’ positions.

Hand-in-hand, they advanced—two moving figures in a corridor lined with stone predators.