The Warm Algorithm

Chapter 39: Between Fear and Safety

The morning air was crisp as Calix slid into the passenger seat of Lucien's car. She was quiet, her thoughts still tangled with the remnants of her dream. The memory of herself lying lifeless, the cold fear, and Lucien's intense gaze in the vision clung to her, making her stomach twist.

Lucien settled into the driver's seat, eyes on the road, a tight line forming across his lips. He glanced at her briefly. 

"You're quiet," he observed, voice low, but carrying that undertone of ownership he always had. "Something on your mind?"

Calix hesitated, unsure how to put her dream into words without sounding irrational. 

"I... had a weird dream last night," she admitted finally. "It felt... real. Too real."

Lucien's eyes narrowed, sharp and focused. "Real enough to worry you?"

She nodded slowly, looking down at her hands. "It... it was about someone lying on the floor. Blood. And... I saw myself."

The tight line of Lucien's mouth deepened, and his grip on the steering wheel stiffened slightly. 

"Did it make you feel unsafe?" His tone was calm, but his possessiveness rippled through the words.

Calix shook her head. "No... not unsafe. Just... uneasy."

Lucien's hand reached over, brushing hers, squeezing lightly. 

"Then I'm here," he said, almost a growl under his breath. "No one's going to hurt you. Not while I'm around. You won't have to face anything alone."

Calix looked up at him, seeing the fierce intensity in his eyes. It was comforting and overwhelming at the same time, the same obsession that sometimes frightened her, but always made her feel safe.

As the city passed by outside, the distance to Rob's location slowly shrinking, Calix pressed a hand to her stomach. The unease lingered, but with Lucien by her side, protective and possessive as ever, she felt a fragile thread of courage.

Whatever awaited them, she wouldn't face it alone. And Lucien's unwavering presence, even in its obsessive intensity, was her anchor in the storm.