diabolical || skz + jisung centric

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chapter five: unraveling

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the night air was thick with tension as jisung followed minho through the dimly lit halls of the mansion. the events of the previous night were still fresh in his mind, the memory of the darkness that had nearly consumed them all lingering like a shadow. they had barely escaped with their lives, and the weight of that knowledge hung heavy over them.

jisung could feel the eyes of the other brothers on him as they passed, their gazes filled with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. it was clear that things had shifted between them all, the delicate balance of power and trust that had existed now fractured.

but the one person jisung was most concerned about was minho. he could sense the tension in minho's shoulders, the way his jaw was set in a tight line. something was bothering him, something more than just the aftermath of their encounter with changbin.

as they reached the door to minho's room, jisung hesitated, unsure of what to say or do. he had grown impossibly closer to minho over the past few days, their bond deepening in ways he hadn't anticipated. but now, with everything that had happened, he wasn't sure where they stood.

"come in," minho said, his voice low and edged with something jisung couldn't quite place. he pushed the door open and stepped inside, leaving it ajar for jisung to follow.

the room was just as jisung remembered it—dark, elegant, and filled with an air of mystery that always made him feel on edge. the heavy drapes were drawn, blocking out the moonlight, leaving the room bathed in a soft, dim glow from the candle on the bedside table.

minho moved to the window, his back to jisung as he looked out into the night. there was a long silence, one that stretched on until it became almost unbearable.

"minho," jisung began, his voice soft, "what's going on? you've been so distant since... since everything happened. talk to me."

minho didn't respond immediately, his gaze fixed on the darkness outside. when he finally spoke, his voice was strained, as if he was holding something back.

"everything's changed, jisung," he said, his tone heavy with the weight of unspoken words. "the darkness we faced... it's not something that can just be forgotten. it's awakened something in me, something I didn't even realise was there."

jisung's heart skipped a beat, a cold knot of dread forming in his chest. "what do you mean?"

minho turned to face him, his eyes shadowed with an intensity that made jisung's breath catch in his throat. "i've always been the strongest, the one who protected you, who kept you safe. but after what happened... i realised that there are things even i can't control."

jisung took a hesitant step closer, his voice trembling with concern. "minho, you don't have to do this alone. whatever it is, we can face it together."

minho's gaze softened for a moment, but there was a flicker of something else in his eyes—something dark and dangerous. "that's the problem, jisung. i don't know if i can protect you from this... or from myself."

before jisung could respond, minho closed the distance between them in a heartbeat, his hands gripping jisung's shoulders with a force that was almost bruising. jisung gasped, his heart racing as he looked up into minho's eyes, which were now glowing with a faint, eerie light.

"minho...?"

minho's expression was torn, his grip on jisung tightening as if he was trying to ground himself. "you don't understand, jisung. the darkness... it's inside me now. i can feel it, pushing at the edges of my control. and every time i'm near you, it gets harder to fight."