Chapter 4: A Marked Connection

I come face to face with a man I’ve never seen before, yet it feels like I’ve known him forever. His presence is like a force of nature, strong, magnetic, and impossibly intense. His long, dark hair is tied back into a loose man bun, strands escaping here and there, giving him a wild yet controlled look. His deep brown eyes, however, are what really capture me. They’re like bottomless pools, dark and endless, pulling me in as if they’re drowning me in some strange, unexplainable way. It’s unsettling. I can’t tear my gaze away from him, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe.

He’s standing there, shirtless, chest heaving from whatever inner battle he was fighting with that poor tree. His fists are still clenched, his muscles taut under the pale moonlight. I have no idea what possessed me, but before I know it, I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.

"What did the tree ever do to you?"

There’s a pause—a long, silent beat where he just stares at me, brow furrowed, as if he’s deciding whether or not to take me seriously. Then, without warning, he bursts into laughter. Deep, rich laughter that rumbles through the quiet garden, echoing off the trees.

I blink, caught off guard. I wasn’t expecting that kind of reaction at all. He seems so serious, like someone who never lets himself feel any joy, and yet here he is laughing like I’ve just said the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard.

"You see a man aggressively hitting a tree in the middle of the night, and the first thing you think to ask is that?" He smirks, his voice deep, smooth, and laced with amusement.

I can’t help it—I start laughing too. When he says it like that, it is kind of funny. “Well, it seemed like the most pressing question at the time,” I say between giggles.

We both laugh for a moment, and as the sound of our shared amusement fades, the air between us changes. It becomes heavier, charged with something neither of us seems to understand. I feel my heart rate pick up, my skin tingling under his gaze. He’s looking at me differently now, like he’s really seeing me for the first time. There’s an intensity in his eyes that wasn’t there a moment ago, and it sends a shiver down my spine.

We fall into an awkward silence, but it isn’t uncomfortable. It’s almost… comforting. Like there’s something unspoken between us, something we don’t quite have words for yet. And yet, I feel drawn to him in a way that’s inexplicable. I shouldn’t. He’s a stranger, and I have no idea who he is or what he’s doing here, but I can’t seem to stop myself from wanting to get closer.

"So..." I try to break the tension, forcing a smile onto my lips. "What did the tree do, exactly? Because, you know, it looked like you were about to rip it out of the ground.”

He grins, but there’s something in his eyes that betrays the smile. “The tree? Nothing. It’s just… sometimes you need to hit something when you’re fighting with yourself.”

That statement hangs in the air between us, and I feel a pang of recognition. I know exactly what he means. Fighting yourself is something I’ve been doing for as long as I can remember.

“I get that,” I say softly, looking away for a moment. "Sometimes it's easier to fight something physical than to face what's going on in your head."

He nods slowly, his expression softening, as if he understands more than I intended to share. For a second, we stand in silence, and there’s that strange connection again, the one that keeps tugging at me, pulling me closer to him without me even realizing it. It feels dangerous, and yet, it feels like the most natural thing in the world.

I shift uncomfortably, trying to shake the feeling, when something catches my eye—something on his chest. A small, heart-shaped birthmark, barely noticeable in the dim light but unmistakable.

I blink in disbelief. "No way..."

His brow furrowed in confusion. “What?”

“That birthmark,” I say, pointing to his chest without thinking. “You have a heart-shaped birthmark.”

He looks down at himself, then back at me, one brow raised. “Yeah, I’ve had it my whole life. Why?”

“Because I have the exact same one,” I say, still staring at the mark in shock.

Without thinking, I reach down and lift the hem of my dress just enough to show him the birthmark on my right thigh. It’s identical to his, in the same shape, the same size. It’s a stupid thing to do—I realize that a second too late—but the moment it’s done, I look up at him, half expecting him to laugh again.

But he doesn’t.

He stares at me, his eyes narrowing as he takes in the sight of the birthmark, and then his gaze shifts to my face, his expression unreadable.

I feel heat rise to my cheeks, suddenly aware of how inappropriate the whole situation is. I quickly drop my dress back into place, stammering, “I-I didn’t mean to... I just thought it was... you know... kind of weird, right?” I give a nervous laugh, hoping to distract from the awkwardness of the situation.

But instead of laughing or making a joke, he steps closer to me, his movements slow, deliberate. I freeze as he slides onto the log next to me, his presence overwhelming as he leans in just enough that I can feel the warmth of his body.

“It’s alright,” he says softly, his voice a low rumble that sends shivers down my spine. “You don’t have to feel ashamed.”

I swallow hard, my heart pounding in my chest as his hand reaches up and gently touches the side of my face, his fingers brushing against my jaw. His touch is soft, but there’s an intensity behind it that sends electricity through my body. I try to avoid his gaze, but he’s so close now, and his eyes… Those deep, endless eyes are locked on mine, refusing to let me look away.

For what feels like an eternity, we just stare at each other. There’s something happening here, something I can’t explain. It’s like time has stopped, and the only thing that exists in the world is him and me.

His face inches closer to mine, and before I can even think about what’s happening, his lips brush against mine—soft, tentative, like a question waiting to be answered. The moment they touch, a jolt of electricity shoots through me, and my heart feels like it’s about to explode. The world around us disappears, and all I can feel is him—his warmth, his presence, his lips against mine. It’s overwhelming, dizzying, like I’m falling into something I can’t control.

But just as quickly as it begins, it’s over.

He pulls back abruptly, his expression darkening as he takes a step away from me, as if he’s suddenly realized what he’s done. The connection between us snaps, and the cold night air rushes in, filling the space where he once stood.

I blink, still reeling from the intensity of the moment, but he’s already walking away, his back to me as he disappears into the shadows of the garden, leaving me standing there, breathless and confused.

I don’t call after him. I don’t move. I just stand there, staring at the place where he vanished, my mind racing, my heart pounding, wondering what the hell just happened.

Who is he?

And why do I feel like my life just changed forever?