Veil of Darkness | Yan! Itachi x Reader |

Chapter 12

Y/N had always been a good student. Disciplined, driven, a bit of a perfectionist. She prided herself on keeping it together, on being in control of her life, her future. But lately, everything was unraveling at the seams, and no matter how hard she tried to hold it together, she felt herself slipping further and further away from the person she used to be.

Itachi’s presence had crept into every corner of her existence, poisoning her thoughts, her dreams, even her sense of self. She could feel his grip tightening around her like a noose, slowly strangling the life out of her.

And she hated it.

But God, she loved it too.

Everywhere she turned, there he was. In her thoughts, in her lectures, in the dark corners of the campus where she couldn’t escape him. It didn’t matter where she went or what she did—Itachi was always there, watching her, controlling her. And the worst part? She wasn’t sure if she even wanted him to stop.

Her grades were slipping. She hadn’t noticed at first, but one by one, her professors had started calling her out. Missed assignments, half-hearted essays, a level of focus that had evaporated almost overnight.

“You’ve been distracted,” one professor had said to her after class, his tone more concerned than accusatory. “This isn’t like you.”

She had smiled, nodded, promised to catch up. But how could she explain it? How could she tell him that her life was spiraling out of control, that she was being smothered by a man who had her in the palm of his hand? How could she admit that part of her didn’t even want to fight it?

---

It was a rainy afternoon when Y/N found herself sitting in the library, staring blankly at a textbook that she hadn’t even opened. The words on the page might as well have been in another language for all she cared. Her mind was elsewhere—on him. Always on him.

She rubbed her eyes, trying to shake the fog of exhaustion that had settled over her like a suffocating blanket. She hadn’t slept well in weeks. Not with the dreams, not with the constant awareness that he was out there, watching her. Sometimes she could feel his gaze even when he wasn’t there. Sometimes she could hear his voice in the back of her mind, soft and commanding, telling her what she should do, what she should want.

“You’re slipping,” she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible. “You’re fucking losing it.”

The library was almost empty, the rain outside tapping softly against the windows. Y/N closed her eyes, resting her head in her hands, trying to will away the weight pressing down on her chest. But it didn’t work. It never worked.

Because no matter how much she tried to resist, Itachi was always there.

She had seen him earlier that day, standing in the hallway outside her lecture. He hadn’t said a word, hadn’t even approached her. But their eyes had locked, and in that split second, she had felt her entire world shift. There was no escaping him. He didn’t have to say a word for her to feel his presence, his control.

Her phone buzzed on the table, jolting her out of her thoughts. She glanced down at the screen and her stomach twisted. It was a message from him.

Meet me in my office. Now.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the words, her hands trembling slightly as she picked up the phone. She didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to see him. But the compulsion was too strong. She couldn’t resist him, no matter how much she tried.

---

Itachi’s office was on the far side of the campus, tucked away in a quiet corner where no one would think to look. Y/N had been there before, of course, but every time she walked those halls, she felt a cold dread creeping up her spine.

She paused outside the door, her hand hovering over the doorknob, her mind screaming at her to turn around, to walk away. But she couldn’t. Not now. Not when he had called her. She had to go.

Slowly, she opened the door.

Itachi was sitting behind his desk, his dark eyes locked on her the moment she stepped inside. There was something predatory in his gaze, something that sent a shiver down her spine. He didn’t say a word as she closed the door behind her and stood there, awkward and unsure, waiting for him to speak.

“You’ve been distracted,” he said finally, his voice low and smooth, but there was an edge to it, a coldness that sent a wave of unease through her.

Y/N swallowed hard, her throat dry. “I’ve just... had a lot going on.”

Itachi stood up slowly, his movements deliberate and controlled, as if every step was calculated. He walked around the desk, closing the distance between them until he was standing just inches from her, his presence overwhelming.

“You’ve let your work suffer,” he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “That’s not like you, Y/N.”

She could feel the heat radiating off him, the intensity of his gaze burning into her. Her heart raced in her chest, her pulse pounding in her ears. She wanted to speak, to explain, but the words wouldn’t come.

“I know what’s been distracting you,” Itachi continued, his voice like silk, dark and dangerous. “And I know you’re struggling to keep control.”

Y/N’s breath hitched in her throat. He was right. Of course he was right. He always was. He knew exactly what she was going through, because he was the one pulling the strings.

“I... I can’t—” she started, but he cut her off, his hand gently cupping her chin, tilting her head up so she had no choice but to look into his eyes.

“You don’t need to fight it,” he whispered, his voice like a poison that seeped into her veins. “You don’t need to be afraid of what you feel.”

Y/N’s entire body trembled as she stared up at him, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear. He was right. She was losing control. And it terrified her.

“I don’t—” she tried again, but her voice broke, and she couldn’t finish the sentence. She didn’t even know what she was trying to say anymore.

Itachi’s thumb brushed lightly over her lips, sending a shockwave through her entire body. “You don’t need anyone else but me, Y/N,” he murmured, his voice hypnotic. “I’ll take care of everything. I’ll take care of you.”

Her knees buckled, and she stumbled back, her heart racing. She wanted to believe him. God, she wanted to. But something inside her was screaming that this was wrong, that she needed to get away before it was too late.

But she couldn’t. Not now. Not when he was so close, not when his presence was suffocating her in the most intoxicating way.

Itachi stepped forward, closing the distance between them again, his eyes never leaving hers. “You’re mine,” he said softly, his voice a dark promise. “You’ve always been mine.”

Y/N’s breath caught in her throat. There was no escaping him. There was no fighting him. He had her, body and soul, and no matter how much she tried to resist, it was futile. She was his.

And part of her didn’t want it any other way.