Bound by Obsession || Jeongcheol ||

Part Six - No Escape from the Shadows

The world around Jeonghan was crumbling.

In the days that followed Hyungwon's disappearance, Jeonghan felt like he was walking through a nightmare, trapped in a hellish limbo. His every waking moment was spent haunted by the knowledge that Seungcheol had done something to Hyungwon, something awful. The thought of Seungcheol's cold smile as he delivered the message still sent a shiver of terror through him.

Hyungwon was gone. Vanished.

No one at the university spoke of it. The whispers that usually followed any scandalous event were eerily silent, as though some invisible force had swept through the halls and erased any trace of Hyungwon's existence. No one even seemed to remember he had been there.

But Jeonghan remembered. He remembered the way Hyungwon had looked at him, the way his touch felt like a light in the darkness. And now, that light was gone, snuffed out by the unrelenting force that was Seungcheol.

Every night, Jeonghan lay awake in his bed, his mind racing with fear. Seungcheol hadn't come to see him again, not since that night. But the silence was suffocating, and Jeonghan knew it wouldn't last. Seungcheol wasn't finished with him yet.

He was only waiting.

One evening, as Jeonghan sat alone in his apartment, his phone rang. The sharp sound startled him, cutting through the oppressive stillness. His hand trembled as he picked it up, knowing who it would be before he even saw the caller ID.

Seungcheol.

With a deep breath, Jeonghan answered, his voice barely a whisper. "Hello?"

There was a pause, and then Seungcheol's voice came through, calm and measured, but dripping with menace. "Jeonghan, darling... I hope you've learned your lesson."

Jeonghan's chest tightened, his heart pounding in his ears. "Where is he?" he asked, his voice breaking with desperation. "What did you do to Hyungwon?"

Seungcheol chuckled darkly on the other end of the line. "You really think you're in a position to ask questions? After everything, you still don't understand, do you?"

Jeonghan's grip tightened around the phone, his knuckles white. "I'll do whatever you want... just don't hurt him. Please." The words tumbled out before he could stop them, his fear overwhelming every other thought.

Seungcheol's voice dropped, colder than ever. "You don't get to make demands, Jeonghan. You belong to me. I warned you not to betray me, and you did. Now you'll have to live with the consequences."

Jeonghan swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "Please... just tell me where he is."

There was a long, drawn-out silence on the other end of the line, and Jeonghan's heart sank deeper into despair.

"You'll find out soon enough," Seungcheol said at last, his voice a cruel whisper. "But first, I want you to understand something. You can run, you can hide, but I will always find you. No one can take you from me. No one."

The call ended abruptly, leaving Jeonghan in suffocating silence once more.

Panic gripped him. He had to get out. He couldn't stay here, trapped under Seungcheol's watchful eye, knowing that he could strike at any moment. With shaking hands, Jeonghan packed a bag, throwing in clothes, his phone, and anything else he could think of. His mind raced, thinking of any place he could run, any way to escape this nightmare.

But deep down, he knew. There was no escaping Seungcheol.

Jeonghan left the apartment that night, slipping out into the dark streets, his heart pounding in his chest. He had no real plan only the instinct to flee, to get as far away from Seungcheol as possible. But the city felt like a prison, every street, every alley, a reminder that Seungcheol's reach extended far beyond the walls of the university.

As he hurried through the deserted streets, the cold night air biting at his skin, Jeonghan's thoughts were consumed with dread. Where was Hyungwon? Was he still alive? Or had Seungcheol already made good on his threats?

Lost in his frantic thoughts, Jeonghan didn't notice the car following him until it was too late.

The black sedan rolled up silently behind him, headlights off, moving like a predator stalking its prey. The moment Jeonghan turned the corner into a narrow alley, the car's doors swung open, and two large men stepped out. Their faces were unreadable, their expressions masked by the shadows of the night.

Before Jeonghan could react, they grabbed him, their grips iron-tight as they pulled him toward the car. He struggled, panic flooding his senses, but it was no use. They were too strong.

"Let me go!" Jeonghan screamed, kicking and thrashing, but his voice was drowned out by the night. No one could hear him.

The men didn't speak as they shoved him into the backseat, slamming the door shut behind him. Jeonghan's heart pounded wildly as the car began to move, the city lights blurring outside the windows. He had no idea where they were taking him, but he didn't need to guess.

This was Seungcheol's doing.

The drive felt like an eternity, the weight of dread settling heavier on Jeonghan's chest with every passing minute. His mind raced, searching for any possible way out of this, but there was none.

Finally, the car came to a stop. The men opened the door and dragged Jeonghan out into the cold night air. They were in an unfamiliar part of the city, far from the university, the streets eerily silent.

Before Jeonghan could process what was happening, he was thrown into a dimly lit room. The door slammed shut behind him, the sound echoing through the empty space.

Jeonghan staggered to his feet, his heart pounding in his ears. The room was bare, save for a single chair in the center. And sitting in that chair, legs crossed and eyes gleaming with dark amusement, was Seungcheol.

"Welcome, Jeonghan," Seungcheol said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "I told you I would find you."

Jeonghan's blood ran cold as he stared at Seungcheol, his mind reeling with terror. There was no escape now. Seungcheol had him right where he wanted him.

"Where's Hyungwon?" Jeonghan demanded, his voice shaking with desperation. "What did you do to him?"

Seungcheol stood up slowly, his movements deliberate, predatory. He circled Jeonghan like a wolf stalking its prey, his gaze never leaving him.

"Oh, don't worry about Hyungwon," Seungcheol said, his voice chillingly calm. "He's where he belongs now. Out of the way."

Jeonghan's stomach twisted with fear, his worst nightmare unfolding before his eyes.

Seungcheol stopped in front of him, his face inches away from Jeonghan's. His cold fingers brushed against Jeonghan's cheek, sending a shiver down his spine.

"You thought you could escape me, didn't you?" Seungcheol whispered, his voice low and menacing. "You thought you could run, that you could find someone else. But you're mine, Jeonghan. And no one will ever take you from me."

Tears of frustration and fear welled up in Jeonghan's eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He wouldn't give Seungcheol the satisfaction.

"You'll never be free," Seungcheol said, his voice a dark promise. "Not as long as I'm alive."

And in that moment, Jeonghan knew: Seungcheol had won. There was no escape from the darkness that had consumed his life.

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