Bound by Obsession || Jeongcheol ||

Part 21- A Cage of Promises

In the dim stillness of the library, Jeonghan clung to fleeting moments of autonomy, his mind racing with scattered plans for escape. He knew his thoughts were fragile, but it was all he had, small fragments of resistance in a life crushed under Seungcheol's unyielding grip. But tonight, that glimmer of defiance shattered as the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall, growing closer, until the door creaked open and Seungcheol's dark silhouette filled the entrance.

"You're here again," Seungcheol's voice cut through the quiet, each word like a blade against Jeonghan's resolve. He moved into the room with a slow, predatory grace, his shadow stretching toward Jeonghan, pulling him into an inescapable darkness.

Jeonghan's hand froze mid-reach, gripping the spine of a dusty book like a lifeline. He forced himself to keep his voice steady, trying to meet Seungcheol's gaze with a flicker of defiance. "I just... wanted to read," he said, his tone wavering only slightly.

Seungcheol's mouth twisted into a bitter smile, and he took a step closer. "You think you can escape me in words and pages?" He advanced, his presence like a storm pressing in, swallowing the air around them. "I'm right here, Jeonghan. You can't shut me out. You can't run from what we are."

The room seemed to shrink with every step he took, until Seungcheol was so close that Jeonghan could feel the chill radiating from him. With a firm grip, Seungcheol lifted Jeonghan's chin, forcing their eyes to meet. His expression was dark, his gaze unwavering and filled with something twisted, something possessive that gripped Jeonghan's heart with cold dread.

"You belong to me," Seungcheol whispered, his voice dangerously soft, the words wrapping around Jeonghan like chains. "I'd raze the world if it meant keeping you beside me."

A spark of pity flashed in Jeonghan's eyes, seeing Seungcheol's obsession laid bare, but it was quickly overpowered by the fear tightening in his chest as Seungcheol's hand slid around his neck, firm and possessive, pinning him against the bookshelf. Jeonghan's heart pounded, but he forced himself to speak, each word laced with barely concealed fear.

"Seungcheol... this isn't love. It's just control. I can't... I can't be that for you."

A flash of rage twisted Seungcheol's face, his grip tightening until Jeonghan felt every nerve in his body scream with fear. But instead of lashing out, Seungcheol's anger melted into something even darker, a calm so cold it sent a chill through Jeonghan's spine. "You don't understand, do you? You don't know what I'd do to keep you here."

Before Jeonghan could reply, Seungcheol pulled him closer, one arm snaking possessively around his waist, while his other hand pressed against the nape of Jeonghan's neck, fingers like iron, holding him captive. His lips crashed against Jeonghan's in a bruising kiss that left no room for protest, no space to breathe. Jeonghan's mind screamed at him to resist, but his body betrayed him, sinking into the embrace, trapped between desire and dread. The kiss stretched on, feeling like an eternity, a suffocating prison of Seungcheol's making.

When Seungcheol finally pulled back, Jeonghan gasped for air, his chest heaving, his face flushed with a mix of anger and helplessness. Seungcheol's expression softened, almost tender, as he brushed his lips over Jeonghan's forehead with a chilling intimacy. "It's time to sleep," he murmured, as though his twisted control was somehow a comfort. "Tomorrow, we'll shop for the wedding clothes. I want everything to be perfect when we're bound together forever."

The words sliced through Jeonghan's mind, scattering every plan he'd held on to. His vision blurred, hope slipping from his grasp like sand. Seungcheol's arm wrapped around him as he guided him out of the library, his voice soft but unwavering with dark purpose. Jeonghan felt his resistance fading, crushed under the weight of Seungcheol's relentless obsession.

The old man's words echoed in Jeonghan's mind, chilling him to the bone. He will stop at nothing. Seungcheol's love was a prison, each kiss a lock, each whispered promise a shackle. As they walked through the darkened halls, Jeonghan's last fragments of hope crumbled, leaving him with the haunting certainty that he would never escape this cage.

Not unless he found a strength he didn't yet know he possessed.

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