The First Day After the Abduction
Ha Eun woke up to the sensation of someone gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. Seon was sitting beside her, admiring her as she lay on the delicate crystal bed. A pleasant light emanated from the facets of the crystal itself, making the atmosphere mysterious and alluring.
"You're finally awake," Seon said gently.
"Where am I?.." Ha Eun recoiled, but he didn't let her move far, catching her wrist.
"Somewhere no one will find you."
He pulled her closer. Very close. But there was no desire to break her in his eyes—only a desperate longing for her to see him. Not the monster, not the abductor, but him. Ha Eun tried to pull away, but he only tightened his grip on her hand.
"Do you understand what you've done?" her voice trembled with fury.
"I gave us a chance," his gaze didn't waver.
"A chance for what?! I am Chan Min's fiancée…"
The mention of Chan Min's name became a trigger for Seon. An instant shadow of rage crossed his face, and he pulled her sharply to him, so close that Ha Eun almost bumped her forehead into his chin. Looking her straight in the eye, his voice became lower, more dangerous:
"And was he your choice?"
Ha Eun fell silent. She knew he was right. She hadn't chosen Chan Min. It was a calculation, an obligation, a duty.
"I am not holding you as a prisoner," he leaned toward her ear. "I just want you to stop running from what you feel."
Ha Eun's heart began to beat faster, a traitorous rhythm. She didn't understand why. Her Energy, which had been blocked for years, was reacting fiercely to him. It wasn't just a reaction; it was a resonance, a wild vibration in the very core of her being. It was so intense that her head spun, and her chest tightened with pain. Seeing her reaction, Seon smirked, his eyes flashing. It was a predatory, triumphant light.
He pulled her even closer. His free hand slid to the back of her head, his fingers burying themselves in her hair, and he tilted her head back abruptly, exposing the delicate line of her neck. Ha Eun flinched at the possessive gesture, but her body, like a separate entity, made no attempt to break free. This was a completely new, shocking experience. Chan Min had never touched her like this—his caresses were ceremonial, cold. This was burning, demanding.
"You see. Your Energy is reacting to mine," he whispered. He brought his lips close to her ear, almost touching her lobe. "You're in pain because you're fighting your true desires, your true connection. And I feel it, Ha Eun. I feel every surge, every wave of your suppressed fire."
He slowly moved his palm from her neck to her shoulder, then stroked her collarbone, tracing the line of her dress neckline. Every touch was slow, deliberate, and sent a treacherous shiver through her.
"Don't you dare. Don't you dare feel this," screamed Ha Eun's inner voice, the voice of duty and propriety. But when his fingers slid slightly lower, her breath caught in her throat, and a strange, burning heat flared in her lower abdomen. From his proximity, from his Energy hitting her blocked channels, Ha Eun felt a sensation of attraction. She hated this feeling, but it was incredibly real and magnetic.
"We will see this through," He touched her ear with his lips again. "Let's make a deal. Stay with me until the moon is full. And if by then you haven't changed your mind, if this fire hasn't consumed you, I will release you to Chan Min, no matter how painful it is for me."
He slightly pulled back, but his large palms now rested on her waist, pressing her against him so she could feel the steel strength of his abdomen beneath the thin fabric. This touch was the last straw. Her cheeks flushed, and she had to bite her lip to prevent making a sound that Seon might interpret as an invitation.
Ha Eun knew that if she didn't agree, he wouldn't let her go anyway. This agreement was the only acceptable compromise. Her mind clung to it like a life raft. She began to look around, trying to figure out what kind of place this was, to somehow distract herself from the feeling of his hands.
He caught her gaze.
"What is this place?" Ha Eun asked.
"It is the Inner World I created. No one can enter or leave here without my permission. Allow me to show you my world."
Seon stood up, extending his hand to her. He hoped that by getting to know him better, Ha Eun would open her heart and stay with him. Seon did not suspect that his desire to be with the woman he loved would lead to a tragedy that would shake all the worlds of the Universe.