Veil of Darkness | Yan! Itachi x Reader |

Chapter 16

The cold, sterile room echoed with the sound of Y/N’s shallow breaths. She had been in here for what felt like hours—maybe days. She wasn’t sure anymore. Time had lost all meaning since the moment Itachi had brought her here, to his house, his room, his world.

At first, it had seemed so innocent, or at least, as innocent as anything with Itachi could be. He had told her he was worried about her safety, that the campus wasn’t secure anymore. And after everything that had happened—the way her friends had disappeared, the way she had felt eyes on her every time she stepped outside—his words had made sense.

So, when he had suggested that she stay with him for a while, just until things “calmed down,” she hadn’t thought twice about it. Hell, she had even been relieved.

But that was before.

Now, sitting in the small room he had led her to, staring at the door that wouldn’t budge, Y/N couldn’t deny the truth anymore. She wasn’t staying with him. She was trapped.

It had started the way most things with Itachi did: quietly. No grand displays of affection, no outbursts of emotion. Just his calm, controlled voice, telling her what was best for her. He had told her to pack a few things, that he had a “safe place” where she could stay for a while. His eyes had been as dark and unreadable as always, but there was something else there, something that had sent a shiver down her spine.

Y/N had wanted to question him, to ask why she needed to be hidden away, but the words had died on her lips. Itachi’s presence had always been overwhelming, but now, it was suffocating. His eyes, his voice, the way he stood just a little too close—it was all too much. So, she had done what she always did when he spoke: she nodded, her mind numb, her body moving on autopilot.

And then, he had brought her here.

The room was small, almost claustrophobic, with white walls and a single window that was barred from the outside. It looked more like a cell than a bedroom. There was a bed in the corner, a simple wooden desk, and a chair, but nothing else. No personal touches, no warmth, no life.

She had asked him why the door was locked.

“For your protection,” he had said, his voice smooth, unbothered. “The world outside is dangerous, Y/N. You’ve seen it yourself. People are disappearing. Friends you thought you could trust are gone without a trace. I can’t let that happen to you. You’re too important.”

Too important.

The way he had said it had made her heart race, her breath catch in her throat. She had always known that Itachi was possessive, but this… this was something else. Something darker. Something terrifying.

But instead of running, instead of fighting, Y/N had stayed. She had listened to him. And now, she was locked in this room, cut off from the world, completely at his mercy.

Days passed—at least, she thought they were days. It was hard to tell. The only light in the room came from the small, barred window, and even that was faint. The door remained locked, and Itachi only came to see her when he decided it was time.

Sometimes, he would bring her food, placing it on the desk with that same calm, unshakable expression. Other times, he would sit in the chair across from her, watching her in silence as if waiting for something. Waiting for her to break.

And maybe, in a way, she already had.

Y/N’s thoughts were a jumbled mess, tangled up in the fear and confusion that had settled deep in her chest. She knew this wasn’t normal. She knew this wasn’t right. But every time she tried to resist, every time she thought about screaming, about demanding to be let out, something inside her would stop her.

Because deep down, in the darkest part of her mind, she believed him.

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“Itachi,” she whispered one night, her voice barely audible in the silence of the room. He was sitting in the chair again, watching her with those intense, calculating eyes. “Why are you doing this?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he stood up, moving toward her with that same quiet grace he always had, like a predator stalking its prey. Y/N’s heart raced, her body frozen as he knelt in front of her, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair away from her face.

“Because the world is dangerous, Y/N,” he said softly, his voice laced with something dark and possessive. “People can’t be trusted. They’ll hurt you, they’ll betray you, they’ll take you away from me. I won’t let that happen.”

His hand lingered on her cheek, his touch cold but strangely comforting. Y/N’s breath hitched, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. She knew this was wrong. She knew she should be fighting, should be screaming for help. But the way he looked at her, the way he touched her… it was intoxicating. It made her feel like she was the only thing that mattered in the world.

And that scared her more than anything.

Itachi stood, his gaze never leaving hers. “You don’t need anyone else, Y/N. Not your friends, not your family. Just me. I’ll protect you. I’ll keep you safe.”

“Safe from what?” Y/N’s voice was barely a whisper, her mind reeling. “Who’s trying to hurt me?”

Itachi’s eyes darkened, and for the first time, a flicker of emotion crossed his face—something cold, something dangerous. “Everyone.”

The word hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Y/N’s heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing as she tried to make sense of his words. Everyone? What did he mean? Who was he talking about?

Before she could ask, Itachi turned and walked toward the door, his hand resting on the handle.

“I’ll be back,” he said, his voice calm again, controlled. “Rest. You need your strength.”

And with that, he was gone, the door clicking shut behind him, leaving Y/N alone in the cold, sterile room once more.

The days continued to blur together. Y/N’s thoughts became more fragmented, her sense of reality slipping away with each passing hour. Itachi’s visits were the only thing that kept her grounded, the only thing that reminded her that she wasn’t completely alone.

But even his presence had begun to change. He no longer spoke to her as much, no longer tried to explain why he was doing this. Instead, he would just watch her, his dark eyes tracing her every movement, as if he were waiting for something. Waiting for her to finally understand.

And maybe, she thought, she did understand.

The world outside was dangerous. People couldn’t be trusted. They would hurt her, betray her, abandon her. But Itachi… he was different. He was the only constant, the only person who had always been there, always protecting her, even when she didn’t realize it.

Maybe he was right. Maybe she did need him. Maybe she didn’t need anyone else.

The thought sent a chill down her spine, but it was a chill she couldn’t shake. No matter how hard she tried to fight it, to hold on to the last shred of sanity she had left, it was slipping through her fingers like sand. And the more she tried to hold on, the tighter Itachi’s grip on her became.

One night, Y/N woke to the sound of the door opening. Her heart raced as she sat up in bed, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. Itachi stepped into the room, his expression unreadable as always, but there was something different about him. Something darker.

He didn’t speak as he moved toward her, his gaze locked on hers, intense and unwavering. Y/N’s breath caught in her throat as he knelt beside the bed, his hand reaching out to gently cup her face.

“You’re mine,” he whispered, his voice low and dangerous. “No one else can have you.”

Y/N’s pulse quickened, her body frozen as his words washed over her. She knew she should be terrified, should be fighting to escape. But instead, all she felt was a strange, twisted sense of relief.

Because deep down, in the darkest corner of her mind, she wanted to belong to him.