Veil of Darkness | Yan! Itachi x Reader |

Chapter 22

It had been days—weeks maybe—since Y/N had last set foot outside. Time felt meaningless now, a blur of moments wrapped in shadows and whispers. The outside world, with its mundane routines and responsibilities, was like a distant dream. University classes, assignments, even her plans for the future had become irrelevant. The only thing that mattered now was him.

Itachi.

Her life was confined to his space, his world, and she didn’t even know when she had made the choice to let go of everything else. Or maybe it wasn’t a choice at all. Maybe it was inevitable. Maybe, from the moment she first locked eyes with him, her fate had been sealed.

Sitting in the dimly lit living room of his house, Y/N stared blankly out the window. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow across the sky, but she felt nothing. The warmth of the light didn’t reach her, didn’t touch her anymore. The world beyond that glass felt so far away—like it didn’t belong to her anymore.

Because it didn’t.

She had cut off all ties. Her phone lay forgotten in a drawer, its notifications silenced, its messages unanswered. Not that anyone had tried to contact her recently. Itachi had made sure of that. Her friends had disappeared one by one, slipping out of her life like shadows. At first, she had questioned it, but now, she barely remembered their names. Their faces were hazy, like ghosts from a life she no longer lived.

She knew Itachi had orchestrated it all, pulling the strings like a master puppeteer. He had severed every connection, every thread that tied her to her old life. At first, she had fought it, resisted the isolation. But now... now she understood.

It was all for her. For them.

The world outside was dangerous, full of people who didn’t understand, people who would try to tear them apart. And she couldn’t let that happen. She didn’t want to let that happen.

A soft creak from the hallway drew her attention, and her heart immediately quickened in her chest. She didn’t need to see him to know it was him. Itachi’s presence filled the space, even when he wasn’t in the room. It was suffocating and comforting all at once.

He appeared in the doorway, his dark eyes locking onto her with that familiar intensity. She felt the pull, the magnetic force that had drawn her to him from the beginning. It was stronger now, impossible to resist. She didn’t want to resist anymore.

“You’ve been quiet today,” Itachi said, his voice calm, almost gentle. But there was always an edge to his words, an undercurrent of control. He walked over to her, his movements slow and deliberate, like a predator closing in on its prey.

Y/N looked up at him, her heart pounding. “Just thinking.”

Itachi’s lips quirked up in a barely-there smile as he reached out, his fingers brushing against her cheek. The touch was soft, but it sent a shiver down her spine. “About what?”

She hesitated for a moment, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. The outside world, her old life—it all felt so distant now, like a dream she couldn’t quite remember. But there was still a small part of her, buried deep, that wondered if she had made the right choice. If she could still go back.

But then she looked into his eyes, and the doubt melted away. There was no going back. Not now. Not ever.

“About us,” she finally answered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Itachi’s hand slid down to her neck, his thumb pressing lightly against her pulse. She felt her breath catch in her throat, but she didn’t pull away. She never pulled away. Not anymore.

“And?” he prompted, his gaze never leaving hers.

Y/N swallowed, her mouth dry. The words she had been holding back for so long finally spilled out. “I don’t care about anything else anymore. The university, my old life... none of it matters. Only you.”

The admission felt like a release, like she was finally letting go of the last vestiges of her former self. The version of her that had once dreamed of a future outside of this, of a normal life, was gone. It had died the moment Itachi had entered her world, consumed by the darkness he brought with him.

Itachi’s smile widened, and there was a flicker of something dark and possessive in his eyes. “Good,” he murmured, his thumb brushing over her skin. “Because that’s how it should be. You belong to me, Y/N. There’s nothing else for you out there.”

His words, once terrifying, now felt like a truth she had always known. The outside world had nothing to offer her. It was cold, empty, full of people who didn’t understand her. Didn’t understand them. Here, in his world, she was safe. She was loved.

“I know,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I know.”

Itachi’s grip tightened slightly, and she felt the pressure against her throat, a silent reminder of his control. She didn’t flinch, didn’t pull away. She welcomed it. Craved it.

“You’re mine,” he repeated, his voice low and dangerous. “And I’ll never let you go.”

The words, once a threat, now felt like a promise. A twisted, dark promise that she had come to accept. She wasn’t just his captive anymore. She was his willingly. She had chosen this.

And she wasn’t sure if she could ever leave. Or if she even wanted to.

The next morning, Y/N found herself standing in front of the same window, staring out at the world beyond. It was early, the sun just beginning to rise, casting a soft glow over the landscape. But it didn’t feel real to her anymore. The people walking by, the cars driving down the street—they were all part of a life she no longer belonged to.

Itachi’s world was her reality now.

Her hand rested against the cold glass, her breath fogging up the window as she watched the world go on without her. She didn’t feel sad or regretful. Just... empty. The things that had once mattered to her—her studies, her future, her friends—felt so insignificant now.

Because none of it mattered without him.

Behind her, she heard the soft rustle of fabric, the sound of Itachi moving through the house. He was always there, always watching, always waiting. And she found comfort in that now. The thought of him being gone, of being alone, filled her with a sense of dread she couldn’t explain.

He was her world now. Her protector. Her captor.

Her everything.