Dark Light
Son's inner world was woven from pure, primal power. Everything around him was created from shimmering, midnight-black obsidian. He didn't just stand—he vibrated, and every molecule of air glowed with this dark, saturated force. Ha Eun, accustomed to the clean, cool energies of the Light Realm, was captivated by this magnetic, dangerous beauty.
"This place... it's exquisite," Ha Eun said sincerely.
"I have only shown it to one divine being in my life," Son approached from behind, his hands resting on her shoulders. "You."
Ha Eun shivered at his touch. It wasn't merely warmth; it was a jolt of dark, concentrated energy that immediately sought a response from her light power.
"Why?"
"So that you would understand: everything I hide... is now yours. All my darkness, all my power."
Her skin flashed with warmth, as if reacting to his energy. Son felt their powers respond to each other again, spiraling into a vortex that grew hotter and hotter.
"Do you feel your energy responding to mine?" He took her hands in his, his fingers intertwining with hers, guiding the flow of energy. A warm, commanding current passed through their palms, rising to their shoulders, their chests—enveloping them both in dark-light flame.
Ha Eun gasped, her breathing uneven. "It's... too intense..."
He moved in very close, covering her with his body, their shoulders touching. She felt the raw power of his form.
"Because you're resisting," he whispered in her ear.
"I... I'm not resisting," her voice broke, turning into a weak exhale.
He smiled, and though she didn't see it, she felt it. She felt him so well.
"Then let me lead."
Son took her by the waist, his grip firm yet gentle, directing the energy through her, and her legs gave way from the sudden rush of power and emotion. He managed to catch her, pulling her close.
"I won't let you fall. Not here... not anywhere else."
Too gentle for a dark god. Too dangerous for her heart. He was right: her light energy reacted too intensely to him. She had to hold out until the agreed-upon deadline.
Son transported them to another dimension where a table was set beside the Black Sea of Dreams. It glowed as if it reflected all the stars in the world, but the light came from the very depth of the water. Everything breathed beauty and romance.
"Why are you doing this?"
"I am showing you my true heart. What you have made me feel."
"Rumor has it that romance is not characteristic of you."
Son helped Ha Eun to sit and took the seat next to her.
"Romance should only be for one. The one you wish to be with forever. There is no point in wasting it on others."
He poured her wine that shone as if it had been steeped in moonlight and stardust—a sweet, intoxicating drink made from dark violets. Ha Eun drank, and a warmth spread through her body, relaxing it. Ha Eun gazed at Son—a long look, one she had never given before, with a dangerous frankness. He liked that she was beginning to study him. It gave him hope that Ha Eun would soon sense his sincerity.
"Son... why are you like this?" Ha Eun asked, a little emboldened by the wine.
"Like what?"
"So strong... and yet... so lonely."
Son took her palm, pulling her closer again. "I stopped being lonely the moment I saw you."
"You don't understand..." she shook her head, looking away. "You were supposed to love Noelle. And I..."
"Don't you dare tell me who I should love," Son cut her off sharply.
With a swift motion, he pulled her closer by the waist. "I choose only you."
His forehead touched hers, their breaths mingling. In this position, they were a single, indivisible cluster of light and darkness.
"Even if you leave... my heart will remain with you."
For the first time, Ha Eun did not look away, allowing herself to dissolve into his gaze. She liked how he looked at her—as if she were his Destiny.
Silver Waterfalls
Son settled Ha Eun in a beautiful castle he had created from the same shimmering obsidian. Their rooms were adjacent. Although he wanted to be with her constantly and sleep in the same bed, he did not want to pressure her too much.
Son creatively and wholeheartedly crafted new secret worlds for Ha Eun. One of them was a valley where the waterfalls did not fall, but flew. The water was not water, but molten, shimmering silver. It cascaded from the cliff and simply hovered, descending weightlessly. Ha Eun admired every new world. Each one was better than the last, but it wasn't just the beauty that captured her attention; it was the special energy that filled these worlds. An energy of warmth, tenderness, and care. Son stood beside her, watching her truly smile for the first time in a long while.
"There are no rules here, Ha Eun. You can do anything you want. There are no laws here, except those you establish."
Gradually, Ha Eun relaxed. Forgetting she was a captive, she became herself. For the first time, she could do what she genuinely wanted, even if it was absurd—like laughing out loud while trying to catch the floating silver in her hand. With Son, she didn't have to think; with him, she lived by her heart, without fear of doing something wrong. And one day, she did something she didn't expect of herself.
"Can I..." she stammered, disbelieving her own boldness.
"What do you want to do?"
"Can I hug you?"
Her question was so simple and pure that it made him freeze.
"Always." He opened his strong arms.
She stepped towards him and embraced him. This was not the embrace of a prisoner and a jailer, but an acknowledgement. She felt firm muscles under her fingers, cold strength, and beneath it—a swirling, hot torrent of energy.
"I feel good here, Son," she whispered, burying her face in his neck.
"I know," he replied softly, holding her head close. "That's why this place belongs to you."
The more time Ha Eun spent with Son, the stronger her light energy reacted to his dark energy. It wasn't just attraction, but a physical necessity. And the harder she tried to suppress it, remembering her duty and the deadline, the worse she felt. The pain in her chest became unbearable, as if two halves of a single whole were trying to unite. And then one night, the energy spun out of control. The strong, painful jolt of energy made her jump out of bed. Her heart was beating too loudly.
Son instantly sensed that something was wrong with Ha Eun and rushed to her.
"Are you unwell?" Son's voice cut through the silence, deep, anxiously strict.
She flinched. He was her guardian, her curse, her one secret desire.
"I... I don't understand what's happening," she whispered. "My chest hurts. My power is burning me up."
Son sat down on the edge of the bed. His proximity was like the heat of a hundred suns—it didn't warm her, it melted Ha Eun from the inside. The energy, which had been raging within her like a destructive fire, now began to wildly resonate.
"It's because of me," he said softly. "My energy resonates with yours... and the longer we are near each other, the stronger the connection becomes. This is... hunger."
Ha Eun could no longer hold back. It wasn't a decision, but gravitational pull. She threw herself into his embrace, and at that very moment, she felt his energy engulf her—gently, but with the relentless force of a tide. It was a relief, like coming home. Son froze. Authority, coldness, divine certainty—all of it shattered into dust against this one desperate, feminine movement. Ha Eun desired him. And Son desired her. At her touch, his own dark energy boiled up like molten metal, and he let out a low groan.
He ran his fingers along her neck, gliding down to her collarbone—almost reverently, as if touching a sacred vessel, but in every movement there was a dark, contained, predatory thirst. His powerful, ancient energy enveloped her. She inhaled, touching his hand with her fingers—a small, timid movement, but it destroyed the last boundaries between them.
Son closed his eyes. It was clear he was fighting with himself.
"If you take a step... even one, Ha Eun... I won't be able to stop." His whisper was low, dangerous, and unbearably tender. "Tell me if you're afraid. I will stop."
Ha Eun shook her head. Not because she wasn't afraid—but because, for the first time, she didn't want to be afraid.
He leaned closer, their foreheads touching. She felt his hot breath on her lips. And for a short, infinite moment, in that dark silence, he was not a god, not a captor—but simply a man whose feelings had overwhelmed him.
He consumed her lips. The chambers were flooded with a brilliant glow, but it was not from light; it was from the explosion of their souls meeting. Ha Eun returned the kiss, giving herself to him completely, without reservation, feeling her body melt in his arms. This drove Son mad. He deepened the kiss, demanding everything she had. Ha Eun desired him. She desired him like this for the first time, madly wanting to lose herself.
Sensing this dangerous desire, Son sharply pulled away. His breathing was ragged, animalistic. His dark nature demanded completion, but he fought with himself for her sake.
"Not tonight."
"Why?" she whispered, her body trembling with unfulfilled desire.
"Because this is the first time you've let me in. And I want you not to regret it later. I want you to be with me not because your energy demands it, but because you want it yourself."
Son got up. He headed for the exit, but Ha Eun stopped him.
"Stay," she asked, her voice barely audible but resolute. "When you're near, it doesn't hurt as much."
Son nodded. He lay down and gently embraced Ha Eun. His powerful energy enveloped her like a warm blanket. Their energies calmed. They fell asleep next to each other for the first time.
The Dark God's Fear
Son woke up. At first, he felt an unusual calmness, strange for his perpetually raging essence. Only a moment later did he realize the reason: for the first time in a long time, he had slept. And he had slept next to her. He instinctively reached out, expecting to feel warmth and softness, but the pillow next to him was cold.
Fear struck him like a physical blow. In one second, peace was replaced by terror. He jumped out of bed, his eyes instantly scanning the chambers. He noticed Ha Eun's thin, fragile shadow on the terrace, flooded with dawn light. She was standing by the railing.
Son instantly vanished from the center of the room and materialized beside her, as if he hadn't walked out, but had grown out of the shadow. He stood so close that his warmth enveloped her, even without touching. She flinched but did not move away.
"Why did you leave?"
"I just... wanted to be alone," she said softly.
He hugged her abruptly. "Don't leave like that," he said, his voice almost a command. "Don't disappear without saying anything to me."
She was surprised: "Son... I'm right here. I'm not disappearing."
"You don't understand," he exhaled. "I am afraid, Ha Eun. Afraid that one day I will wake up, and you won't be here."
His gaze darted to her—hot, painful, honest. "That you will choose Chang Min."
This was a blow. A confession. And a laid-bare soul.
"I don't want to lose you," he whispered as if it were a prayer.
For the first time, she understood that she didn't want to lose him either. She no longer wanted to fight with herself, with the boundaries imposed on her. Yes, she was Chang Min's fiancée, but not because she had wanted it herself. Had she ever felt what she felt for Son with him? No.
"I don't want to lose you either," Ha Eun confessed. Not only to him, but to herself.
"Repeat that..." Son couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"I don't want to lose you either," Ha Eun repeated.
Maddened with joy, Son abruptly pulled her into his embrace, holding her as if afraid she would dissolve into the air. Resting her head on his chest, Ha Eun felt warmth, bright light, and complete safety. Her light no longer fought his darkness. They simply merged. At that moment, she did not even suspect that by choosing Son, she was becoming the cause of his downfall.