Cold sweat coated Yujin’s collarbone as he sprinted down the dimly lit corridor of the east wing. Every breath tasted like copper and old dust, burning his lungs with a raw, agonizing heat. Clutched tightly in his trembling fist was the tiny, amber glass vial he had snatched from the floorboards of the lounge just moments before. His knuckles were white, his fingers shaking so violently that he nearly dropped the precious, terrifying evidence.
Sedative. Strong enough to fell an ox, let alone a panicked teenager. He couldn't trust a single soul in this godforsaken hotel. Not after Ricky’s poisoned tea, and certainly not after the sheer, unhinged madness he had seen lurking behind Gyuvin’s dark eyes. Everyone was a threat. Everyone wanted to control him, to lock him away in some dark, golden cage.
Heavy, frantic footsteps echoed behind him, sharp and loud against the polished marble floor. Yujin scrambled toward the nearest doorway, throwing his entire weight against a pair of massive, carved oak doors. Panic surged through his veins, making his movements clumsy and desperate as he slipped inside the dark room.
Inside, the scent of rotting paper and leather-bound volumes washed over him. He had stumbled into the grand library, a massive room of shadows and forgotten knowledge. He slammed the heavy oak doors shut, his fingers fumbling desperately with the giant iron bolt. With a brutal shove, he forced the metal home, sealing himself inside the dusty tomb.
With a heavy, metallic thud, the bolt slid into place. Yujin collapsed against the wood, his chest heaving as he slid down to the cold floor. His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird, each beat echoing in his ears like a drum.
"Yujin! Open the door!"
Taerae’s voice rattled the thick wood, high-pitched and frantic. A heavy fist hammered against the exterior of the door, vibrating directly through Yujin's spine. It was a terrifying sound, devoid of the gentle warmth Taerae usually projected.
"Please, Yujin, you don't understand," Taerae begged, his voice cracking with a strange, desperate intensity. "You can't be in there alone. It's not safe. Let me in. I can protect you. Only me! I am the only one who truly cares about you, Yujin!"
Clutching the amber vial closer to his chest, Yujin shook his head, even though Taerae couldn't see him. Trusting Taerae was out of the question. Everyone in their friend group was a suspect now, especially those who seemed the most desperate to get close. Taerae's sweet, melodic voice now sounded like a siren song, designed to lure him to his doom.
"Go away!" Yujin screamed, his voice raw. "Leave me alone! I'm not opening this door for anyone!"
Silence stretched from the hallway, thick and suffocating. It lasted so long that Yujin almost thought the older boy had given up and walked away. Then came a soft, chilling chuckle that made the hairs on Yujin’s neck stand on end, a sound so dark it didn't belong to the friend he thought he knew.
"You really think a wooden door can keep us apart, Yujin?" Taerae whispered, his voice dangerously close to the keyhole. "We're going to find you. We always find you. You can't run from what belongs to us."
Scrambling backward, Yujin retreated deeper into the cavernous library. Towering bookshelves stretched toward the ceiling like rotting wooden monoliths, casting long, predatory shadows across the floor. Above, a massive octagonal skylight looked out into the pitch-black, storm-swept night.
Rain lashed against the glass, creating a frantic, uneven rhythm. Yujin tucked himself into a small alcove between two bookshelves, pulling his knees tightly to his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the storm, the screams of Jiwoong from earlier, and the terrifying realization of his own isolation.
Minutes dragged like hours. His heart hammered a frantic rhythm against his ribs, a trapped bird desperate to escape. Every creak of the old hotel sounded like a threat, every shadow a hand reaching out to grab him.
Why were they doing this? Why had Gyuvin and Ricky looked at him with those terrifying, possessive eyes? And Taerae... there was something deeply wrong with the way Taerae had spoken just now, a possessive edge that matched the billionaires' madness.
Suddenly, a sharp, metallic scraping sound echoed from above. Yujin’s head snapped upward, his eyes straining to pierce the darkness of the high ceiling. The storm outside had grown louder, but this sound was distinct, deliberate, and terrifyingly close.
High above, a dark shape shifted against the rain-slicked glass of the skylight. A human figure, cloaked in heavy black fabric, crouched on the wet roof. The flash of lightning illuminated a mask, devoid of features, staring directly down at Yujin.
Before Yujin could even draw breath to scream, the figure raised a massive, heavy brass candlestick. With terrifying force, they brought it crashing down onto the glass, shattering the fragile barrier between Yujin and the storm.
Shards of glass exploded outward like a frozen geyser. The deafening crash reverberated through the empty library, followed immediately by a rain of razor-sharp daggers. The storm rushed in, cold air howling through the broken frame.
Shielding his face with his arms, Yujin tried to roll deeper into the alcove. A particularly large shard sliced clean through the air, grazing his cheek with agonizing precision. The pain was immediate, sharp and burning.
Hot blood immediately welled from the cut, trickling down his jawline. He gasped, the metallic taste of fear filling his mouth as he looked up to see the cloaked figure dropping through the shattered frame. They descended with an unnatural, predatory grace.
Ropes of thick black fabric trailed behind the intruder as they descended, landing with a soft, heavy thud on a nearby mahogany table. In their hand, a long, gleaming blade caught the faint moonlight, its edge polished to a lethal sheen.
"Stay back!" Yujin sobbed, scrambling backward as his hands brushed against the sharp, fallen glass on the floor. His palms sliced open, but he barely felt the pain over the absolute terror seizing his chest. He was cornered, trapped like a rat in a cage.
Step by step, the cloaked figure advanced, their face hidden entirely by a dark hood. They moved with a terrifying, slow grace, completely unfazed by the chaos of the ruined room. The knife in their hand remained perfectly steady, pointed directly at Yujin's heart.
Just as the figure raised the blade, preparing to strike, a violent crash shook the library doors. The heavy oak splintered with a deafening crack, the wood groaning under an immense force.
Wood exploded inward as Gyuvin kicked the doors entirely off their hinges. He stood in the frame, eyes wild, chest heaving like a beast in the dark. His expensive designer clothes were rumpled, and a look of pure, murderous rage twisted his handsome features.
"Get away from him!" Gyuvin roared, his voice shaking the very foundation of the room, vibrating with a raw, dangerous authority.
With terrifying speed, Gyuvin sprinted across the glass-strewn floor. He didn't seem to care about the shards slicing through his expensive leather shoes. His eyes were locked on Yujin, burning with a frantic, possessive fire.
Seeing the sudden intrusion, the cloaked figure paused, glancing between Gyuvin and Yujin. With a swift, practiced motion, the intruder spun on their heel, launching themselves toward a side fire exit.
They disappeared into the deep shadows of the hotel's rear corridors, the heavy metal door slamming shut behind them. The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the howling wind from the shattered skylight.
Instead of pursuing the killer, Gyuvin dropped to his knees right in front of Yujin. His hands, warm and trembling, immediately cupped Yujin's face. The contrast between his murderous rage a second ago and his current tenderness was dizzying.
"Yujin, oh my god, Yujin," Gyuvin muttered, his voice thick with a desperate, terrifying affection. "Are you hurt? Look at me, sweetheart. Look at me. I'm here. You're safe now."
Relief, dark and toxic, flooded Yujin's veins. Despite knowing Gyuvin's dangerous, obsessive nature, the sheer terror of almost dying made Gyuvin's arms feel like the only safe harbor in the world. He was weak, exhausted, and desperately craved the warmth.
He clung to Gyuvin's designer jacket, burying his face in the man's chest. Sobbing softly, Yujin let himself be held, ignoring the quiet, triumphant smirk that played on Gyuvin's lips. He knew he was playing into their hands, but he couldn't stop.
"I've got you," Gyuvin whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Yujin's messy hair. "I will always save you. No one else can have you. No one else is allowed to touch you."
Gently, Gyuvin pulled back, his thumb reaching up to wipe the trickling blood from Yujin's sliced cheek. His touch was incredibly tender, yet it felt like a brand on Yujin's skin, marking him as property.
As Gyuvin wipes the blood from Yujin's cheek, Yujin feels a cold, metallic object slipped into his own pocket—a key card labeled 'Master Access: Executive Suite'.