𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 || 𝐉𝐉𝐊

tׁׅhׁׅ֮ꫀׁׅܻ ℘ꭈׁׅꪱׁׅᝯׁꫀׁׅܻ ᨵׁׅ⨍ ᥣׁׅ֪ᨵׁׅᨮ꫶ׁׅ֮ɑׁׅ֮ᥣׁׅ֪tׁׅᨮ꫶ׁׅ֮

The hours ticked by like a countdown, each passing second closing in on a decision that Y/N was not even remotely sure she could make. Dusk had barely fallen, tinging the sky into shades of orange and purple, but the darkness creeping into her mind felt heavier than this night that was closing in.

She sat at the edge of the huge bed in Jungkook's penthouse and didn't look anywhere but outside into the sky. His world was so big and bad it felt like a prison closing in on her. Every part of her wanted to reject his offer and walk away, having at least some sense of normalcy, but she couldn't deny the harsh truth-there was no safety on the outside anymore. She'd seen too much, knew too much. Worse, she'd seen a side of herself she didn't know that was pulled to him despite all reason.

A knock on the door jolted her out of her reverie. She turned just as Jungkook entered the room, framed by the dimness of the hallway light. He didn't have to say a word; the mere presence was enough reminder that time was ticking.

"You've had time to think," he went on, his voice cool but with an edge of something darker. "What's your decision?

Y/N's heart was racing as she stared into his face. He stood there king-demanding and unyielding, his very aura commanding the weight of the world to bow before him. And here she was, perched on the precipice of either becoming part of that world or running from it forever.

"I don't want to be like you," she whispered, practically inaudibly over the riotous thudding of her heart.

Jungkook's eyes narrowed. "I never asked you to be like me."

"But you want me to follow you," she went on, making herself meet his heavy gaze. "To accept this life, this. Darkness. And if I say yes, I'm afraid I'll lose myself in it.

The room fell silent for a moment. Then Jungkook took a step closer, his face unreadable as he regarded her. "This world will change you, yes," he said slowly, voice low and steady like distant thunder. "But you're different already, Y/N. You can't go back to how things were with you. That doesn't exist anymore.

The words hit deep inside her, an ache that reminded her of the fact she had evaded the truth. She had changed. The woman who once had walked in seeking justice, pursued the rush of the thrill for the uncovering of the hidden truths-that woman was but a memory now, replaced by someone else. Someone who knew justice wasn't always about black and white. Someone who had been pulled into the grey, tangled in a web she didn't know how to get out of.

Jungkook stepped closer, closing the space between them. "You have two choices," he said again, this time with a dark tone. "You can stay by my side, and I'll protect you, or you can walk away. But if you choose the latter, know this: you won't last long outside.

Y/N felt her breath catch in her throat. She could almost hear the warning in his words: if she left, she would be vulnerable, an easy mark for his enemies. She would be hunted-just like everyone else who had crossed him.

But if she stayed... She raised her gaze to his eyes, searching for some hint of what her life would become if she accepted his offer. Would she be safe, really, or would she lose herself utterly to the dark that wrapped around him?

"I'm not ready for this," she whispered.

Jungkook's jaw clenched, and for the first time, a flicker of something almost human danced in his eyes. "No one ever is," he said, his voice low. "But you're strong, Y/N. Stronger than you think. And you're not alone.

The words sent a shiver through her. She wanted to believe him, to believe that somehow, she could make it in his world without losing herself completely, that last little piece of herself she clung to. But deep down, she knew that nothing about this life was certain. It was all a gamble, one which she wasn't sure she could win.

"I don't want to be a pawn in this," she whispered, her voice shaking. "I don't want to lose out on myself."

The hard glint in Jungkook's eyes softened, but there was an edge in the words. "You won't be a pawn," he promised, and his hand reached out to cup her chin gently. "You'll be mine."

The possessiveness wasn't hard to miss in his voice, and Y/N felt her pulse quicken. It was the danger that unnerved her, but more so the way Jungkook looked at her as if she were something treasured, something he would do anything to keep.

But at what cost?

Y/N's mind was a jumble of decisions she knew she had to make. Staying with him brought security, yes, but deeper into the world power and violence were surrounding her, aligning herself with a man who could crush any soul on his way to victory yet would do the same to any that dared betray him.

"I..." Y/N swallowed hard as her heart beat rapidly in her chest. She had never been this terrified of any decision in her life, but this time around, there was no going back. She had to choose.

Jungkook studied her intensely without lifting his gaze off her eyes. "What's it going to be, Y/N?"

She said nothing for a long moment, her decision weighing upon her like a vice. But finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she looked up into his eyes, her voice steady, though a river of fear coursed through her veins.

"I'll stay," she whispered. "But I won't lose myself in this."

A small, satisfied smile curled Jungkook's lips. "Good. That's all I ask."

He leaned down, his breath warm on her skin, and whispered, "Welcome to my world, Y/N."

The words settled over her, and all at once, Y/N realized the full weight of what she had just agreed to. There was no going back now; she had made her choice, and whatever came next, she would have to face head-on.

One thing was for sure, though: her life would never be the same again.