🕯️ Noctis City, 11:58 PM
Rain fell like broken glass over the streets of Noctis City.
Neon lights bled across wet asphalt, reflecting the shape of a world that never truly slept—only pretended to.
Above it all, inside a mansion of black marble and silence, Kang Taehyun sat without moving.
A glass of untouched wine rested in his hand.
He wasn’t drinking.
He was waiting.
🩸 “Bring him in.”
The doors opened.
Cold wind rushed inside.
And then—
a boy stepped into the mansion.
Soaked by rain.
White sweater clinging softly to his thin frame.
Dark hair slightly messy.
Eyes… too calm for someone standing inside a mafia king’s home.
Lee Eden.
He looked like something that didn’t belong in this world.
Something fragile enough to break with a single word.
Behind him, a man was dragged forward, trembling violently.
“P-please… I brought payment… I brought him!”
The man’s voice cracked.
“This is enough to clear everything, right?!”
Silence.
Taehyun didn’t respond immediately.
His gaze was fixed on the boy.
Not the man.
Not the debt.
Only Eden.
🖤 The First Look
Eden slowly lifted his head.
Their eyes met.
For a moment—
the entire room felt… wrong.
The chandelier flickered.
Once.
Twice.
A servant dropped a tray somewhere behind them.
Taehyun noticed none of it.
His expression didn’t change.
But something inside him did.
A pressure.
A shift.
Like something had recognized its owner.
🩸 “What’s your name?”
Taehyun’s voice was calm.
Low.
Dangerously controlled.
The man who brought Eden answered quickly instead.
“Lee Eden, sir! He’s… he’s clean, obedient, doesn’t cause trouble—”
“Not you.”
The room froze.
Taehyun’s gaze stayed on the boy.
“I asked him.”
A pause.
Eden blinked slowly.
Then answered softly.
“…Eden.”
Just that.
No fear.
No hesitation.
Like he had nothing to lose.
🌧️ Something Wrong in the Silence
Minjun, standing behind Taehyun, leaned slightly closer.
“Boss… something feels off.”
Taehyun didn’t look away from Eden.
“I know.”
That was the problem.
He knew.
And still… he didn’t want to look away.
🖤 The Decision
The kneeling man began panicking again.
“Please, sir, I swear he’s harmless—”
“Enough.”
Taehyun finally moved.
He stood.
Slowly.
The sound of his footsteps echoed through the hall like a countdown.
He stopped in front of Eden.
Close.
Too close.
Eden didn’t step back.
Didn’t flinch.
Just looked up at him quietly.
Taehyun studied him for a long moment.
Then spoke.
“You’ll stay here.”
Not a question.
Not a request.
A sentence that ended lives in other rooms.
Eden nodded once.
“…Okay.”
That simple answer made something in Taehyun’s chest tighten.
Annoyingly.
🩸 The First Night
Later that night, Eden was taken to a room inside the mansion.
White sheets.
Soft lighting.
Too clean for a place owned by monsters.
He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at his hands.
Outside the door, two guards stood watch.
Inside the mansion security room—
the cameras flickered.
Static filled the screens.
One by one.
Every camera showing Eden froze.
Then shut off.
🌙 Upstairs
Taehyun stood in front of the surveillance monitors.
Minjun frowned.
“That’s impossible. All systems are fine.”
Taehyun said nothing.
He only stared at the blank screens.
Then quietly spoke.
“Remove the guards from his door.”
Minjun turned sharply.
“Boss?”
Taehyun’s eyes darkened slightly.
“I said remove them.”
“…Understood.”
🕯️ Eden Alone
The hallway became silent.
The guards left.
The mansion settled into stillness.
Inside the room, Eden lay down slowly.
He didn’t sleep immediately.
Instead, he stared at the ceiling.
Softly, almost like a secret—
he smiled.
And in the reflection of the window beside him…
his smile appeared a fraction too late.
🌧️ Final Scene
Upstairs, Taehyun stood alone by the window.
Rain streaked down the glass.
Behind him, Minjun spoke quietly.
“Do you trust him?”
Silence stretched.
Then Taehyun answered.
“No.”
A pause.
Then, lower—
“…But I can’t ignore him.”
Outside, lightning flashed across Noctis City.
And in that split second of light—
Taehyun saw Eden’s face in his mind again.
Too calm.
Too quiet.
Too wrong.
Like something that had already decided…
this mansion belonged to him. 🩸
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