The guests who had left Sector 5 without so much as a farewell had reunited with the men waiting for them at the sector’s border. Armed and ready, they began their hunt the moment the bombs planted in the mansion detonated.
He positioned himself on a road that provided a clear view of the mansion engulfed in flames. Unaware of the lurking hunters, the fleeing people became his targets. He pulled the trigger, never once missing the prey that entered his sights.
He had hunted countless times before, yet not once had he ever attached emotion to the act. To him, hunting was as meaningless as shooting at a mere target.
But now, his finger on the trigger carried an unmistakable weight of emotion. Perhaps it was lingering resentment toward Seo-yul for rejecting him over and over. Or maybe it was bitterness toward Sector 5.
Whatever the reason, the only thing that mattered now was ensuring that Sector 5 would be sufficiently crippled, just as the leader of Sector 1 desired. He wasn’t entirely sure what “sufficiently” meant to that man, but—
‘This should be enough.’
Pausing his relentless hunt, he surveyed the ruins of the mansion. While he had been absorbed in the chase, the inferno had reduced the grand estate to little more than pitch-black ash, and the servants who had become his prey now lay scattered across the garden.
He walked through the grass, his boots pressing into the thick, sticky blood that drenched the earth. The familiar emptiness and hollowness that always followed a hunt wrapped around him. Moments like these made him acutely aware of the eight-year chasm that had formed between him and Seo-yul. The boy he had once been and the man he had become were now entirely different people.
The bright-eyed boy who once grinned from a faded portrait had long since died. Perhaps Seo-yul had seen through the shell of that boy and recognized the monster hiding beneath. Maybe that was why he had deliberately pushed him away. A humorless laugh escaped his lips at the thought.
“Vincent-nim.”
A man hurried toward him, bringing news that Seo-yul had been found. The faintest smile crossed his previously expressionless face.
Just as he was about to follow, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He let out a long sigh as he took in his own disheveled state.
“Is something wrong?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
Seo-yul was someone fundamentally different from him. A fragile flower raised in a greenhouse, too afraid to even point a gun at someone—he might very well be terrified at the sight of Vincent now.
For the past week, the frustratingly close yet unreachable distance between them had left Vincent increasingly on edge. Patience had never been his strong suit, much like the leader of Sector 1. But for Seo-yul, he had endured. Seo-yul was the one person he was willing to endure for.
“I just hope he doesn’t get scared.”
There was nothing he could do but hope the darkness would conceal the bloodstains on his clothes. Masking the stench of blood with an overwhelming surge of pheromones, he followed the man without hesitation. Any lingering worries were now drowned out by the anticipation of finally seeing Seo-yul again.
They passed through the pitch-black forest and entered the path leading to the mansion. As he pushed aside the dense leaves, Seo-yul came into view.
He wanted to rush to him immediately, but the situation unfolding before him was far from ideal.
Seo-yul had a gun—one meant to be aimed at others—pointed at himself. His voice was resolute as he demanded to be let go, while the aide carrying out Vincent’s orders desperately stalled for time.
“Let us go. Now.”
It was only when the word us left Seo-yul’s lips that Vincent finally noticed Han Se-yul slumped behind him. Judging by the blood-soaked shirt and his deathly pale face, he’d had the misfortune of taking a bullet.
If they didn’t call a doctor immediately, he wouldn’t survive. Then again, thinking about it another way—he was going to die sooner or later regardless.
Vincent raised his gun and aimed at Se-yul without hesitation, pulling the trigger. A deafening gunshot echoed through the forest, and only then did the people in the shadows realize he had been there all along.
“The young master of Sector 1 has arrived.”
It was only after hearing the respectful greetings from the Sector 1 men that Seo-yul finally turned toward him, his focus up until now entirely on Han Se-yul. His dark eyes wavered with confusion, and the moment Vincent met his gaze, a slow smile spread across his lips.
The thought that those eyes would soon see nothing but him sent a rush of euphoria through him. It was something he had dreamed of for so long—trapping Seo-yul in a place where no one else could reach him, filling his entire world with nothing but Vincent himself. A dream that had once seemed like an impossible fantasy.
To make that dream a reality, Seo-yul had to have nothing left but him. Sector 5, Han Jae-hoon, Han Se-yul—everything and everyone Seo-yul had ever cared for needed to disappear. Only then would Vincent remain as the sole thing in Seo-yul’s world.
“Seo-yul hyung.”
Suppressing the exhilaration rising within him, he called out to Seo-yul. Though Seo-yul flinched and tried to push him away in fear, it didn’t matter. Vincent already knew exactly how to make him submit. Slowly, he tilted the barrel of his gun, still aimed at Se-yul. Seo-yul’s frantic gaze followed it, trembling.
“I’ll… go with you.”
Satisfied with the answer he had been waiting for, Vincent lowered his gun. He had never intended to fire in the first place, but without this little performance, Seo-yul would never have agreed to leave with him.
Even if it was forced consent, it didn’t matter. As long as he could take Seo-yul to Sector 1, anything was worth it. In time, Seo-yul’s heart would melt—he had all the time in the world to make sure of that.
“I’ve always wanted to hear you say that.”
Unable to hide his joy, Vincent beamed as he tossed his gun aside and strode toward Seo-yul. After brushing off the lingering touch of his aide, he pulled Seo-yul into his arms completely.
With each breath, he caught the faint scent of cocoa—Seo-yul’s scent. A fragrance that both soothed and excited him at the same time. Pressing a soft kiss to the crown of Seo-yul’s head, he whispered in a tender voice,
“Thank you, Seo-yul hyung.”
The tension in Seo-yul’s body seemed to unravel all at once. Vincent called his name a few more times, but there was no response. Checking his condition, he realized that in that short span, Seo-yul had lost consciousness.
Scooping him up with ease, Vincent turned to leave, heading toward the waiting car. But then, he hesitated.
Han Se-yul.
Even if they treated him, he had already lost too much blood. His survival was uncertain at best.
Wouldn’t it be better to simply leave him to die?
After a brief moment of contemplation, Vincent decided to entrust Se-yul’s fate to the men who remained behind. With that settled, he resumed his steps. Right now, the only thing that mattered was making sure Seo-yul was as comfortable as possible.
By the time he reached the waiting vehicle, his aide had already opened the door wide. Carefully, Vincent climbed inside and gently laid Seo-yul down across the seat. He then placed the smaller man’s head onto his lap before quietly closing the door.
“Drive.”
At his command, the car smoothly began to move.
Bringing a low-noise vehicle had been a smart choice. If they had used something louder, the noise might have disturbed Seo-yul’s rest. And for now, Vincent wanted him to sleep peacefully—right here, right next to him.
He lowered his gaze, watching Seo-yul sleep peacefully with his head resting on Vincent’s lap. His clothes were covered in dust and dirt, and traces of soot smudged his pale face. Yet, as always, Seo-yul was the most beautiful person in the world.
Leaning down, Vincent softly pressed his lips against Seo-yul’s. With every quiet breath Seo-yul took, his lips tickled against Vincent’s own. The sensation was so intoxicating that he lingered there, unmoving, simply savoring the delicate touch.
“We’ll head straight for Sector 1.”
His aide’s voice came from beyond the partition. Vincent tapped the divider twice in acknowledgment. Lifting his head slowly, he gazed at Seo-yul’s lips, his eyes filled with longing.
I want to kiss him more.
The enclosed space of the car seemed to amplify the faint traces of Seo-yul’s pheromones, making them sharper, more distinct. He tried to ignore the growing ache between his legs, but every time the car shifted, Seo-yul’s cheek brushed against him—right there.
Unable to resist any longer, Vincent sat Seo-yul upright, laying him down properly before positioning himself on top of him. Seo-yul was small, delicate—but even so, the space inside the car was far too cramped for them to move freely.
Yet, he liked it that way.
Tearing away the bloodstained shirt Han Se-yul had left behind on Seo-yul’s body, Vincent buried his lips into the curve of his neck, where the rich scent of cocoa was strongest. Like a child drawing on a blank canvas, he scattered deep red marks all over Seo-yul’s porcelain skin, only stopping when he was satisfied.
Seeing Seo-yul covered in the traces he had left behind finally made it feel real.
Seo-yul had always been his, but now—now, no one could ever take him away.
“Seo-yul hyung….”
Still fully clothed, Vincent rubbed himself against Seo-yul’s body. Only he was panting, breath ragged with hunger, but even in his unconscious state, Seo-yul’s pheromones reacted instinctively, thickening in the air.
The car was now filled with the clashing scents of both of them, spiraling together in an intoxicating swirl.
The vehicle rocked violently as Vincent moved, his breathing heavy as he clung tightly to Seo-yul.
He would never let him go again.
