"Please... I-I'm sorry..." His voice quivers, lips trembling, as another slap echoes off the marble walls of the mansion, a cruel sound that fills every corner of the vast, cold space.
The man who should have been a father, but never was, seizes Seokmin by the collar, yanking him up with a force that makes his vision blur.
"Do you have any idea how important those papers were? And you—" his words come out in a vicious snarl, spitting venom right into the boy’s face, "you spilled water all over them!" The man's shout reverberates like a curse, each word a dagger, tearing into the fragile boy's soul.
Seokmin’s small frame trembles, and tears flow freely down his cheeks, mixing with the blood from the corner of his lip where his father’s ring had cut him.
"I'm sorry, sir—" Seokmin whimpers, his voice breaking, small hands wrapping around the large, rough ones that hold him captive. He clings desperately, not to beg for forgiveness, but to feel some semblance of connection, even if it’s through the pain. His little hands are dwarfed, like a fragile bird caught in a hunter's trap.
"You need to learn some manners," Seungjin sneers, his words slurred, soaked in the stench of alcohol. He jerks the ten-year-old up, dragging him across the floor like a rag doll, Seokmin’s feet stumbling, barely keeping up with the man's unsteady strides.
Seokmin’s eyes sting with fresh tears as he’s hauled towards the door, the polished wood of the mansion’s entrance looming like the gates of hell. Outside, thunder rumbles, a deep growl that shakes the ground beneath them.
The rain crashes down, heavy and unrelenting, battering against the walls of the mansion as if it wants to break them down, to seep inside and drown out the cruelty within.
Seungjin’s grip is bruising, a reminder of power and control. Seokmin’s heart races, each beat a frantic plea, as if it’s trying to outrun the inevitable. His skin prickles with fear, cold dread spreading through his veins like poison.
What if the lightning finds him, strikes him down for ruining his father’s precious documents? The thought spirals, feeding his panic, and he feels the bile rise in his throat.
The door is thrown open, the wind slamming into Seokmin’s small body with the force of a thousand screams. Rain lashes at his face, cold and unforgiving, soaking him instantly. The thunder roars again, and Seokmin flinches, cowering under his father’s grip.
The world outside is wild and furious, nature mirroring the chaos and violence that spills out from the mansion, from the man who should have loved him but only knew how to destroy.
Seungjin shoves him forward, and Seokmin stumbles, falling to his knees on the wet stone steps. The rain is relentless, drenching him, making his clothes cling to his skin like a second, heavier, prison.
Lightning splits the sky, bright and terrifying, illuminating the darkness for a brief, blinding moment. Seokmin squeezes his eyes shut, wishing he could disappear, wishing he could become as invisible as his father makes him feel.
He can’t hold back the sobs now, each one a sharp, painful gasp that tears through him, mingling with the sound of the storm.
He’s a child, nothing more, standing alone in a tempest that feels like it will never end. And somewhere, deep inside, a small voice whispers that maybe it would be better if it didn’t.
Seokmin kept his head down, the rain pounding against his skull, mixing with his father’s words to create a nightmarish symphony.
His father’s hand gripped his hair, yanking his head up, forcing him to look into the eyes that held no love, no warmth. Only hatred. “I don’t want to hear you cry,” Seungjin hissed, his face close enough that Seokmin could smell the alcohol on his breath, seeing the wildness in his bloodshot eyes.
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Arrange Devotion | SS
FanfictionBOOK #2 They say love heals scars, but Seokmin's scars were lessons-bitter reminders that twisted him into a creature of darkness. His life was a series of brutal lessons that shaped him into someone who burns with an unquenchable fire. Protecting...
