"Bound by Fire" - Lizkook

Chapter one

("The limit of anger")

Jungkook's house was big, empty, and silent. The sound of Lisa's heels echoed through the marble hallways, a reminder of a presence that, though visible, felt like a shadow. No one knew she was his wife, but her ring made it clear. Lisa was barely more than a distant silhouette in Jungkook's life, and even in his own home, he made no effort to change that.

In the kitchen, Lisa sat at a table covered with papers and design magazines, searching for something to distract her from the monotony of her life. She knew he wouldn't come home at his usual time, as always. In fact, she didn't even expect him to.

The front door closed with a soft thud, and Jungkook appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. Tall, elegant, with the presence everyone knew. His cold gaze scanned the room before landing on Lisa.

"Are you done with that?" he asked, his tone serious and distant, almost as if she were just another piece of furniture in the house. There was no real interest, only the obligation to check that everything was in order.

Lisa didn't lift her gaze from the papers. "Yes, it's done" Her voice showed no trace of emotion. She wasn't tired or frustrated; she was simply used to the silence surrounding them. When she finally looked up, her expression was blank. "And you, how did it go?"

Jungkook, not wanting to waste more time on the conversation, approached the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. "Everything's under control, as always" he replied emotionlessly, opening the bottle and drinking slowly. Every movement was calculated, controlled. He didn't expect Lisa to say more.

"Are you going to have dinner?" Lisa asked without looking at him, as if it were just another casual question, and as if the answer didn't matter.

"No" he replied impassively, before returning to his phone, scrolling through emails and messages as if she weren't even there. The indifference was mutual, but he didn't bother to hide it. To him, there was no need to show interest.

Lisa observed him for a moment, watching how he focused on his phone. Was there any point in trying? There was no connection between them—not in words, not in looks. Only the echo of emptiness lingered. And she didn't know what to do about it.

She got up from the table, the chair scraping lightly against the floor. "I'm going upstairs" she said, turning to leave.

"Alright" Jungkook replied without looking up. His words, as curt as always, hung in the air as if they carried no weight.

"Alright" It wasn't an answer—it was a farewell. As always.

When Lisa reached the stairs, she heard the door close. He was already gone, but his presence lingered in every corner of the house, even when it was intangible.

She closed the door to her room and approached the window. From there, the city glowed with lights that never stopped, much like her life. Always moving, but empty. Lisa leaned against the glass, staring down without really seeing anything. Her mind once again drifted to the same question: why was she there, married to someone like Jungkook?

A man she barely knew, with whom she barely spoke. A marriage of convenience, but why was she still there? What kept her trapped in this bubble of indifference?

She heard footsteps in the hallway but didn't turn. She knew Jungkook was back, downstairs, his shadow always nearby. But he didn't see her.

He didn't look at her like a wife. He saw her as a functional presence. The same emptiness. The same routine.

Lisa sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the white walls surrounding her room. It wasn't that she liked everything in her life, but she had learned to stay silent, to stop asking questions. What for? Jungkook never gave answers that mattered. If it came to him, words were unnecessary. Only actions mattered, and in truth, the actions were always clear: he had never shown even a shred of interest in her.