Bound by Obsession || Jeongcheol ||

Part Five -The Darkness Unleashed

The semester brought new faces to campus, but none as captivating as Hyungwon.

Tall, striking, with a quiet confidence, Hyungwon seemed to glide through the university halls, catching everyone's attention. But it was Jeonghan who noticed him most. And to Jeonghan's surprise, Hyungwon noticed him too.

At first, it was small, fleeting glances. But as days turned into weeks, those glances turned into conversations. Hyungwon was different from the others very gentle, warm, and he didn't carry the weight of the suffocating darkness that followed Jeonghan everywhere, the shadow of Seungcheol's obsession. With Hyungwon, Jeonghan felt a strange sense of safety. A small flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, he could escape the prison Seungcheol had built around him.

One evening, Jeonghan and Hyungwon sat together in the university's courtyard, the golden light of the setting sun casting long shadows over the grass. They talked about everything like dreams, the future, all the things Jeonghan had been too afraid to think about for so long.

Jeonghan laughed at something Hyungwon said, the sound so foreign to his ears it almost startled him. For the first time in what felt like forever, he wasn't looking over his shoulder. He wasn't afraid.

"Jeonghan," Hyungwon said softly, his eyes locking with Jeonghan's. "I really like being around you. You make things feel... different. Like there's more to life than this place."

Jeonghan's heart skipped a beat. Hyungwon's words were simple, but they meant more than he could express. They sat in silence for a moment, and Jeonghan felt something he hadn't felt in ages, called peace.

But peace was never meant to last.

That night, Jeonghan returned to his apartment, his mind filled with thoughts of Hyungwon. He allowed himself, for the first time, to imagine what life could be like if he could somehow escape Seungcheol, if he could be free. The memory of Hyungwon's smile was enough to let him dream, if only for a little while.

But the moment he stepped through his door, that dream shattered.

The lights flickered ominously, casting the room in a sickly, pale glow. The door creaked shut behind him, and Jeonghan's breath caught in his throat. His apartment wasn't empty.

Seungcheol was there.

He stood in the shadows, his figure almost blending with the darkness. But his eyes cold, unblinking, gleamed in the dim light, locking onto Jeonghan with terrifying intensity.

"I warned you, didn't I?" Seungcheol's voice was calm, far too calm. It sent a chill down Jeonghan's spine. "I told you not to defy me."

Jeonghan's pulse quickened. "What are you talking about?" His voice trembled as he tried to keep it steady.

Seungcheol stepped forward, the menace in his movements unmistakable. "Hyungwon," he said, his voice dripping with venom. "Do you think I don't see what's happening? Do you think I don't know?"

Jeonghan's blood ran cold. "Seungcheol, it's not—"

Before he could finish, Seungcheol lunged at him, pinning him against the wall with brutal force. The sudden impact knocked the air out of Jeonghan's lungs, and he gasped for breath as Seungcheol's hand gripped his throat.

"Don't lie to me," Seungcheol hissed, his face inches from Jeonghan's. His eyes were wild, burning with a dark, terrifying obsession. "I told you, Jeonghan. You belong to me. And no one, no one can take you from me."

Jeonghan struggled against Seungcheol's hold, panic surging through him as the pressure on his throat tightened. His vision blurred at the edges, and for a moment, he thought Seungcheol might actually kill him right then and there.

But Seungcheol released him just before the darkness could fully take over, letting Jeonghan collapse to the floor, gasping for air.

"Do you know what happens to people who try to take what's mine?" Seungcheol asked, his voice chillingly casual now. "I make them disappear."

Jeonghan's heart raced as the meaning of his words sank in. He scrambled to his feet, desperate. "Seungcheol, please... don't do this. Hyungwon doesn't—"

But Seungcheol cut him off with a vicious sneer. "It's too late, Jeonghan. You should have known better. I warned you, and you ignored me. Now, you'll see what happens when you betray me."

Jeonghan's stomach twisted in fear. He couldn't let Seungcheol hurt Hyungwon. He couldn't let another person suffer because of him. But he knew there was no reasoning with Seungcheol. The madness in his eyes was all consuming, and Jeonghan realized with sickening certainty that Seungcheol would stop at nothing.

"Please..." Jeonghan's voice broke, raw with desperation. "Don't hurt him."

Seungcheol's lips curled into a cold smile. "Oh, Jeonghan. I won't hurt him." He paused, leaning in closer, his breath hot against Jeonghan's skin. "I'll destroy him."

With that, Seungcheol turned and walked toward the door, leaving Jeonghan trembling on the floor, his mind spiraling into chaos.

He had to warn Hyungwon. He had to do something, anything to stop Seungcheol before it was too late.

But deep down, Jeonghan knew the truth.

It was already too late.

The next day, Jeonghan frantically searched for Hyungwon, his mind racing with dread. He had to find him before Seungcheol did. But as he rushed across campus, a sinking feeling gnawed at him. Seungcheol was always one step ahead.

When Jeonghan finally reached Hyungwon's dorm, his worst fear was confirmed.

The door was ajar, the inside eerily silent. Jeonghan pushed it open, his breath catching in his throat.

Hyungwon's belongings were scattered across the room, as though a violent struggle had taken place. But the room was empty no sign of Hyungwon.

Jeonghan's phone buzzed in his pocket. With trembling hands, he pulled it out, his heart plummeting when he saw the message:

"I told you, Jeonghan. He's gone."

Seungcheol's threat echoed in his mind, and Jeonghan realized, with a sickening sense of finality, that Hyungwon was no longer safe.

The darkness that surrounded Seungcheol had consumed everything and there was no escaping it.

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