Twilight of Shadows

Chapter 16: The Storm Within

The house was eerily quiet. The sound of the wind howling through the trees outside was the only noise breaking the silence. Mingyu had left earlier that morning to meet with his family, as he had promised to handle some business matters with his parents. Taehyung and Seokjin had left the house as well, taking care of their own family commitments. Jeonghan was alone now, just him and the unborn child growing inside him, and he had never felt more vulnerable.

He sat in the living room, trying to distract himself with a book, but his mind kept drifting back to the conversation he had had with Mingyu earlier. His confession had been a huge weight lifted off his chest, but now he couldn’t shake the unease that lingered in the pit of his stomach.

As he absently traced his fingers over his stomach, he heard a noise. At first, it was faint—just a rustle of the leaves outside—but then it grew louder. Footsteps. Rapid. Unmistakable. Jeonghan’s heart began to race as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

The door. Someone was at the door.

Jeonghan’s hand shook as he set the book down and stood, his instincts screaming at him to hide, to run, but his legs felt heavy. He couldn’t outrun whatever was coming. He couldn’t outrun the danger that had somehow found its way to this house.

Suddenly, the door was kicked open with a violent bang, and several figures stormed in, their faces hidden by masks. Jeonghan froze, his breath catching in his throat.

"Jeonghan," one of them growled, the voice low and cold, "we've been looking for you."

Jeonghan’s body went cold as he recognized the tone, the malicious intent behind the words. These weren’t strangers—these were people from his past, people who had once been tied to the same world as his parents. The same world that Jeonghan had tried to escape, but it had followed him. It had come back to haunt him, and now, it was threatening the life growing inside him.

Before Jeonghan could react, one of the men grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the living room. He struggled, trying to break free, but the grip was too strong. The man sneered at him.

"You think you can hide, omega? You think you can run away from your responsibilities?"

Jeonghan’s heart hammered in his chest, the fear flooding his veins. He could hear the distant thud of his pulse in his ears, a steady reminder that time was running out. He had to protect his baby. He had to survive.

Without thinking, Jeonghan kicked out, his knee connecting with the man’s thigh. The man cursed, but he didn’t loosen his grip.

The second man, standing a few feet away, took a step forward. His eyes glinted with malice as he reached for Jeonghan. "Stop struggling," he hissed, "or things are going to get a lot worse."

Jeonghan swallowed hard, his breath ragged. He could feel the baby stirring within him, a reminder of the life he was trying so desperately to protect. He had no choice. He couldn’t let them take him—couldn’t let them harm his unborn child.

Suddenly, the sound of tires screeching against the gravel outside caught their attention. The men froze for a moment, distracted by the noise. Jeonghan took that brief second to pull away, his feet stumbling as he backed up toward the kitchen.

The men cursed under their breath, their focus shifting back to him. But before they could advance, the front door flew open, and a familiar voice shouted from the entrance.

"Let him go!"

Mingyu.

Jeonghan’s breath hitched in his throat as Mingyu stormed into the room, his eyes locked on the men who had tried to take him. He was furious, his body tense with rage, every inch of him radiating power.

"Get your hands off him," Mingyu growled, stepping forward.

The men hesitated, their eyes flicking between each other as if unsure whether to engage Mingyu or retreat.

"You’re making a mistake," the first man sneered, reaching for something concealed beneath his coat. "We don’t care about your games, alpha. This omega belongs to us."

Jeonghan’s heart sank. He had hoped that by coming to this house, staying with Mingyu and his parents, he’d been safe. But it was clear now that his past wasn’t done with him yet.

Before anyone could react, Mingyu lunged, his movements swift and calculated, disarming the man with ease. He shoved him to the side, his eyes never leaving Jeonghan.

"Jeonghan, get out of here," Mingyu ordered, his voice sharp and commanding. "Now."

Jeonghan hesitated, his legs unsteady, but he quickly nodded and ran toward the back door. His mind was a blur of panic and confusion. Mingyu was handling it—he had to trust that Mingyu could protect them, but it was still terrifying.

He heard the sounds of the struggle behind him, but he didn’t dare look back. His heart was thudding too loudly in his chest, and all he could think about was getting to safety.

Just as he reached the door, he felt a sharp pain in his side, and he gasped, stumbling. He looked down to find blood staining his shirt, the red spreading quickly.

"No..." he whispered, his breath hitching. He reached for his stomach instinctively, but the pain was growing, too intense to ignore.

Behind him, Mingyu's voice called out, full of panic. "Jeonghan!"

Jeonghan felt his legs give out as the world around him tilted, everything turning to black at the edges of his vision. He tried to stay awake, tried to hold on, but it was too much.

The last thing he felt was the warmth of Mingyu’s arms as they enveloped him, pulling him into safety.

---

Later that Night

Jeonghan awoke in a haze, the sterile smell of a hospital room filling his senses. His body ached, his side throbbing where the wound had been, but it wasn’t just the physical pain that made him feel broken. It was the terror, the feeling that he had almost lost everything.

Mingyu was sitting beside him, his face etched with worry. When Jeonghan stirred, Mingyu’s eyes flickered open, relief washing over him.

“You’re okay,” Mingyu murmured, his voice hoarse. “You’re going to be okay. I won’t let anyone hurt you again, I promise.”

Jeonghan reached out with shaky fingers, his hand brushing Mingyu’s cheek. “I was so scared… for the baby.”

Mingyu held Jeonghan’s hand tightly, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “I’m here now. You’re safe now. Nothing’s going to hurt you—nothing’s going to hurt our baby.”

Jeonghan let himself believe him for the first time in weeks, the warmth of Mingyu’s words melting the fear that had gripped his heart. He wasn’t alone anymore. They would face this together.

But deep down, Jeonghan knew this wasn’t the end. The people who had attacked him would come back—he just didn’t know when. And when they did, Mingyu would be ready.