The night was quieter than it should have been. No crickets, no wind, no hum of distant life — only the sound of the grandfather clock in the corner of Taehyung's decaying mansion. Tick… tock… tick… tock. It was like the seconds were counting down to something inevitable, something irreversible.
You sat in the middle of the living room, your wrists bound loosely with silk ribbon — not rope. He didn't tie you up; he gift-wrapped you, as though you were a possession too precious to leave unadorned.
Taehyung paced in front of the fireplace, his shadow swaying on the cracked wall. His hair was disheveled, his white shirt stained faintly red at the cuffs. His voice, when it finally came, was low — sweet, almost, in that hypnotic way that made it impossible to look away.
"You know… I tried so hard to keep you safe from me."
He turned, eyes glinting in the firelight — that smile. The one that used to make your heart flutter now made your stomach turn.
"But you kept looking at me with those eyes. Like you could see the monster in me and still… love me."
You swallowed hard. "Taehyung, you don't have to—"
He was kneeling in front of you before you could finish, fingers brushing your cheek so gently it was cruel.
"Don't I?" he whispered. "Do you know what it's like, jagiya? To have someone see all of you? The good… and the parts that shouldn't exist?"
His hand lingered on your face, then suddenly tightened around your jaw. His other hand gripped the ribbon at your wrists, pulling you closer until you could smell the faint copper tang on his skin.
"It's intoxicating. And it's terrifying. Because if you ever leave…"
His gaze darkened to something bottomless.
"…I'll have to make sure you can't."
The firelight flickered, casting an almost halo-like glow around him — an angel's frame with a demon's eyes.
The sound of something dripping echoed in the silence. You followed it with your eyes — a small, dark puddle spreading on the floorboards near the door. You didn't dare ask what it was.
Taehyung noticed your gaze and tilted his head, smiling faintly.
"Don't look over there, sweetheart. Look at me. Always… me."
Then, almost playfully, he untied your wrists — but you knew better than to run.
Instead, he took your hand and led you into the grand dining room. A table was set for two, crystal glasses catching the dim candlelight. The smell of roses filled the air, but underneath it… iron.
You froze when you saw what was on the plates. Meat — but not the kind you'd seen before.
Taehyung sat you down, pouring red wine into your glass with the precision of a gentleman.
"Eat with me," he murmured. "Let's make this our last perfect night before… well…"
Before what? You didn't get to ask.
A sudden knock echoed from the front door — loud, urgent. Taehyung's entire demeanor changed in a heartbeat. The charming smile slid off his face, replaced by something feral, his head turning sharply toward the sound like a predator scenting prey.
"They found us," he whispered, almost to himself. Then he looked back at you with a softness that was somehow worse than his rage.
"Stay here, jagiya. No matter what you hear… don't come out."
He kissed your forehead, lingering a moment too long, and then walked away — slow, deliberate steps toward the door.
You listened as the knocking turned into pounding… and then into screams.
When the noise finally stopped, there was silence again. No footsteps returning. No voice calling your name.
Just the slow creak of the dining room door… opening behind you.