Desolate Innocence ||T.K.V||

▶︎ Chapter 12▶︎

Burn

Mansion burning

But would it be the end of his misery too?

Jungkook was absorbed in his tasks at Master Kim's mansion when the news came. The maids of the personal mansion, gossiping as they cleaned, broke the devastating news. His heart sank as the news got elaborate on by the maids.

"You won't believe what happened!" one maid exclaimed, her hands flying dramatically in the air. "The mansion of Master Kim is on fire!"

"No way!" another maid said, her tone rising in dramatic disbelief. She hit a melodramatic pose as if narrating a grand horror. "The whole place is ablaze! Can you imagine it?"

"Yes!" a third maid added with a cruel chuckle. "Flames everywhere! It's like the place was meant to go up in smoke. All those twisted memories—now they're just burning away."

Jungkook's heart sank. The mansion where he had suffered so much was now engulfed in flames, reduced to a fiery skeleton of its former self. He was brick of tearing up again but he seized a deep breath and listened further.

"Honestly," one maid said with a sadistic grin, "it's kind of fitting. That place was a den of cruelty for people who thrived on suffering or those who were too broken to resist."

The other maids nodded in agreement, their faces alight with a cruel satisfaction. They all knew the malicious activities going on in that virgin mansion of torture, they all were basically trained by their cruel hand and wanted them to die, but bad people live longer. The pain and agony were silenced in that excuse of a mansion which was a home for demons and devils that were the pure children of satan himself. No mercy, no humanity, only one word— inhumane.

"Think of it," another maid mused, her tone laced with mock sympathy. "All that pain, all those tears—gone up in smoke. It's almost poetic."

Another maid leaned in, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I heard it was intentional. Someone wanted to erase all traces of that wretched place. And who could blame them?"

Jungkook, standing silently, felt the sting of their words. The old mansion—his prison for so long—was now a blazing ruin, and the casual cruelty with which the maids spoke about it only summed up his disorientation and loss.

He glanced out a nearby window as if expecting to see the flames flickering in the distance, but all he saw was the serene, orderly environment of Master Kim's mansion. The maids continued their chatter, their voices echoing around him. They discussed the implications of the fire, speculating on the fate of the people who had been inside. Jungkook tried to focus on his tasks, but the thoughts of the burning mansion and the people who had once been part of his life plagued him.

One maid approached him with a feigned kindness. "You must be a bit shaken up by all this. I heard the old place was pretty rough before it burned down."

Jungkook looked up, weary. His wet orbs and drenched lashes spoke thousands of words, but none of them were courageous enough to come across his dried and thirsty throat, he was helplessly desolate, his desire to speak ended long ago, he could just stare at her face and could say nothing but wetting his eyes.

The maid gave a sympathetic but insincere sigh. "It's a shame, really. But, considering how things were there, maybe it's for the best." Another maid, leaning casually, added, "It's probably a relief to be away from all that mess. Even if you're stuck here, it's a bit of an upgrade, don't you think?"

Jungkook nodded, feeling the mockery beneath their words. He had a highly sensitive trust issue, he knew being with the mafia, even thou they were maids, it too dangerous and menacing and trusting them, would cost him a massive consequence that could cost his life too.

A third maid, with a hint of cruel humor, said, "Well, at least you're still here. Just hope this place treats you a bit better, though I wouldn't count on it."

Jungkook kept working, trying to ignore the thinly veiled cruelty hidden behind their so-called sympathy. The maids' words were laced with their mafia training and harsh attitudes, making their "concern" feel hollow.

The following three days later-

Days had become slightly more bearable for Jungkook. The workload was lighter, and he was treated more like a regular person. He barely saw Master Kim and was given enough food, but the change didn't fill the emptiness inside him.

He moved through the mansion with a hollow expression, trying to adjust to this new routine. Even though the work was easier and he had more food, it didn't mend the deep pain he felt. The comfort of not being constantly overworked couldn't replace the loss of hope that once kept him going. Jungkook felt like he was merely existing, not living. The luxury around him seemed meaningless without the spark of hope that had been crushed long ago.

Maybe if his life is taking a turn then... maybe he could gain hope?

His thoughts jumped out of their balcony when he collided with a firm, feminine back. He stumbled and fell hard onto the ground, his nose stinging from the impact. As he looked up, he saw a woman dressed in a sleek black coat, turning with an elegant and dominant grace to face him.

Her sharp hazel eyes, sharp and intense, seemed to penetrate his very soul. They scrutinized him with a cold, assessing look, as if trying to uncover his deepest secrets. Her gaze roamed over his small, weary frame before meeting his blank, doe-like eyes. The dark orbs widen for a mere minute and soften with a knowing look. She smirked darkly and lifted her hand, finger cladded with rings shining brightly like a pole star, ebony fingers gestured gracefully to take a help. Jungkook gulped and raised his small naturally chubby hand and clasped it with hers.

"Careful, little boy," the dark feminine voice, echoed in his ear, he could feel his ears burning. He lowered his head, and gaze and stared at the brightly glimmering tiles, the woman darkly chuckled and her hand reached its destination— under his chin and lifted with tenderness. She bent down to his height and said.

"Dont hide when you are beautiful, show it proudly," Jungkook gulped at the deep voice that came out as a threat, he hesitantly looked up into her feline eyes, and there he saw a glint of adoration? He slowly nodded and averted her gaze from her captivating ones. The woman laughed darkly but shortly and said.

"Such a porcelain doll, should be kept like a doll and treated like a princess, What you are doing here, white doll?" Jungkook bit his lower plump lips and crimson dust sprinkled over his hollow cheeks. The woman chuckled darkly and traced the fingernail of her index, on his high cheekbone trailed it down to his soft jawline and cupped his cheek unknowingly... Softly.

"Kim Taehee would treat you like a princess, white doll,"