🥀 62. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐌𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞

Enjoy 🌸

Author's Note:

Ahem! Listen up, my lovely readers!

I'm sitting here, typing my heart out, and we went from 97 comments (where I was floating on Cloud Nine like the main character) to a measly 17 comments?!

SEVENTEEN?!

What is this betrayal?!

I'm out here trying to conquer physics and chemistry while also delivering the fluffiest, heart-stopping chapters for YOU.

And what do I get? SEVENTEEN COMMENTS.

Do you know what that feels like? It's like preparing for NEET only to find out the syllabus has doubled overnight. It's betrayal. It's heartbreak. It's a pain no medical or engineering degree could ever fix. 😭

Here I am, sacrificing precious study time to write because I LOVE this story and I LOVE YOU ALL. But now I'm wondering if you love me back. Did I bore you? Did the Taekook magic fade? Or are you all secretly conspiring to see me suffer from lack of serotonin?!

Do you want Taehyung and Jungkook to call YOU out in the next chapter for making their author sad?!

In conclusion:

DON'T LET ME DOWN, PEOPLE! Let's bring back the golden days of 100-comment energy.

Now, go, shoo—comment away! Or else, I'll... I'll make Taekook fight in the next chapter. 😏 (Yes, that's a threat.)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Taehyung looked around and found himself in a dark black forest, covered in thick fog and surrounded by darkness from all sides. He cautiously walked through the dense forest, each step leading him further into the web of tall trees.  Dark shadows loomed from every angle as if the trees were trying to close in on him.

The silence was oppressive.

The sound of crushed dried leaves echoed with every step. Somewhere in the distance, a low, haunting sound thundered, like a long-forgotten call—one that belonged to neither man nor beast.

His heartbeat quickened, pounding heavily against his ribs as he took slow steps forward. The cold air nipped at his skin, and the dampness of the forest floor seeped through his shoes with every step.

His heart raced as he desperately searched for an exit or a way out, he looked around the silent forest whose eerie silence was broken only by the rustling of leaves and distant, haunting sounds.

A faint glow caught his attention in the distance.

Taehyung's heart jolted as a faint light flickered through the dense fog, against the dark trunks of the trees. His initial fear was surpassed by curiosity and faint hope. Without thinking, he moved toward it, each step becoming more purposeful as if the light called to him.

The glow grew brighter as he approached, illuminating the fog with an ethereal hue. When he drew close enough, he froze. Standing alone amidst the towering trees was a door—old, weathered, and utterly out of place.

Taehyung stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening as he took in the sight before him. There, etched in delicate, silvery script on the wood, was his name:

| KIM TAEHYUNG |

The letters sparkled faintly in the eerie light. His breath hitched, and a chill swept through him, colder than any wind that rustled through the dark forest.

Why was his name here?

How could it be?

His mind raced as he took in the sight. Was this door meant for him? And if so, who—or what—had placed it here, waiting for his arrival in this cursed forest?

Taehyung glanced around, half-expecting something or someone to emerge from the shadows, but the forest remained empty, except for the uneasy stillness that clawed in from all sides.

Taehyung's hand reached toward the door handle, trembling slightly. He felt the cold metal in his palm and pulled it open. The door swung wide, revealing a world bathed in golden light.

Suddenly, he found himself standing in the familiar surroundings of their old home. Taehyung's breath caught in his throat as he took in the sight. The furniture was worn, the paint peeling in places, yet it held nostalgia that soaked him like a wave.

He stepped forward slowly, his fingertips trailing along the wall. In the kitchen, he could still feel his mother's gentle voice. He closed his eyes, almost able to smell the familiar aroma of her cooking. He remembered standing on his tiptoes to help her, sneaking bites when she wasn't looking, earning a fond smile and a playful chide.

Moving to the living room, he paused, his gaze landing on the small rug in the centre. Memories of childhood games, laughter, and late-night stories rushed over him.

Taehyung felt a pang in his chest, a bittersweet ache. This place had been the centre of his world, a sanctuary where he had felt the pure love of his family.

Pushing through the door, he saw a scene frozen in time: a Five-year-old Taehyung sat on the worn-out carpet.

His eyes fell upon a scene he'd long buried, one that haunted the corners of his mind but had faded with the years. Before him, a younger version of himself sat on the worn carpet, surrounded by toys that had seen better days. The innocence in his round, wide eyes was opposite to the turmoil unfolding around him.

Inside, his father, Kim Taesung's voice thundered like a storm, "You're useless! Always messing things up!"

Across from him stood Taehyung's mother, Soomin, her slender frame trembling, her tear-streaked face implying exhaustion and quiet suffering. She flinched at his father's words, and a shaky apology slipped from her lips.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." Her voice was fragile, like glass on the verge of shattering.

"Shut up!" Taesung's voice rose again, a harsh bark of frustration. "You never listen!" His anger filled the small room, drowning out any attempts she made to reason with him.

Taehyung, watching from across time, felt every bitter word pierce him as if he were still that small boy, feeling helpless and afraid.

The young Taehyung on the floor clutched at his worn stuffed toy, his small shoulders hunched in fear. He wanted to run to his mother, to stand in front of her. But he was frozen, fear rooting him to the spot.

The memory reveal the raw ache of that moment.

"I'm trying, please..." His mother's voice cracked.

"You're always trying, and failing!" His father's voice boomed, filled with loathing. "Pathetic!"

Little Taehyung's heart ached as he watched his mother wilt. The room felt suffocating. He wanted to shout, to make it stop, but his voice remained trapped in his throat, drowned out by the tempestuous storm.

Taehyung stared at his five-year-old self, sitting on the floor with his younger siblings, their small forms huddled together for comfort. They innocently looked at their parents' voices rise in the cramped space.

Taehyung's immature mind struggles to catch the complexities of their parents' argument. He knows they fight often, their voices echoing through the thin walls of their small home. He doesn't understand why they're angry and that makes him scared and sad.

"I don't want them to be mad," Small Taehyung thinks, his brow furrowing in worry. "Why can't they just be happy like they used to?"

His siblings cling to him, seeking comfort that he struggles to provide. They're too young to understand fully, but they feel the heaviness of their parents' unspoken dread.

"Stop it, please..." Small Taehyung whispered covering his ears with tiny hands, his plea lost in the chaos. "I just want us to be happy again."

"Taetae, why is mama crying?" his younger sibling asked, looking up at him with wide eyes, seeking answers from their eldest brother.

"She's just feeling sad right now," Small Taehyung replied softly. "Sometimes grown-ups feel sad too, but we're here with her, okay?"

He gathered his siblings into a hug, offering them the only comfort he knew how to give. His small arms wrapped around them protectively, his chin resting atop his sister's head as he tried to create a barrier between them and the hurt they didn't yet understand.

Taehyung, now an adult watching this memory unfold, feels helpless. He wanted to reach out, to pull his younger self away from the heartache, to shield him from the bitterness and pain he'd absorbed too young.

But he was only a spectator, forced to relive the scene, powerless to change it.

The older Taehyung's vision blurred as he watched the small family huddled together, his younger self whispering words of comfort he didn't yet believe.

"Why couldn't they just be happy?" he thought, feeling that same wish he'd made as a child. "Why did we have to grow up like this?"

The scene began to blur around him, the voices fading into a distant murmur, but the feelings remained back.

Taehyung turned away, unable to bear witnessing the painful scene any longer. His heart heavy with sorrow, he took hesitant steps down the hallway, seeking refuge from the storm of emotions that had engulfed him.

But when he moved, a door loomed ahead, its presence proving that he couldn't simply walk away from the memories that haunted him. The door stood as an obstacle, confronting Taehyung with the reality he had tried so hard to avoid.

He hesitated, his hand hovering near the door handle. A part of him wanted to flee, to escape into the solace of forgetting.
Yet another part knew that facing what lay beyond that door was the only way to begin healing the wounds of his past.

Memories came forward, flashing in his mind—the fear, the helplessness, the anger that had steamed in silence, pressed down until it became a part of him. He squeezed his eyes shut, gathering every ounce of courage he had and turned the handle.

The door creaked open, and he stepped inside, bracing himself for whatever might lie beyond.

He finds himself in the living room, where his mother, Soomin, sits alone on the couch, a letter clutched tightly in her trembling hands. Her eyes are red and swollen from crying.

Soomin took a shuddering breath, her fingers loosening slightly as she scanned the letter once more, its words cutting her anew with each reading. Her lips trembled and she whispered, her voice fragile, "He has been cheating."

Taehyung's heart seized, his throat tightening with anger. His father—a man who had brought so much pain to their home—had betrayed her, again and again.

His mother's loyalty, unending patience, and resilience had been trampled upon, discarded like it meant nothing.

And for what?

For a fleeting affair with a courtesan!

A woman his father had returned to time and again, choosing lies over the family that had once loved him so deeply.

The letter slipped from Soomin's hands, fluttering to the floor, where it lay open. She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

"He promised..." she choked out, her voice breaking her heartbreak.

A bitter, almost broken laugh escaped her lips. "He promised he loved me. He promised we'd be a family."

Taehyung's fists clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms. He wanted to scream, to demand why his father had done this. Why he had allowed his mother to sacrifice everything for a love he had carelessly thrown away?

His mother looked up, her face streaked with tears, her gaze distant and lost. Her fingers brushed over the letter on the floor. "I gave him everything," she whispered to the empty room.

"I sacrificed so much... for him, for this family."

The strong, selfless woman who had been the pillar of their lives was unravelling, her spirit fractured by betrayal. In that moment, Taehyung saw not only the toll his father's anger had taken on her, but the years of silent suffering, the countless times she had hidden her pain to protect him and his siblings, to shield them from the truth that their father had never truly valued the family they cherished.

How many times had she sat alone, her heartbreaking, while still managing a soft smile for her children, hiding her sorrow behind gentle words and warm embraces? She had endured it all, alone, because she had believed in a love that his father had never returned.

Taehyung's vision blurred, hot tears welling up in his eyes as he watched her. He wished he could somehow reach through the years, bridge the gap between past and present, and hold her in his arms.

But he was only an observer in this memory, a helpless witness to her heartbreak. Soomin's sobs finally quieted, the room grew dim, the memory fading. Taehyung could feel himself being pulled back to the present, but he was no longer the same.

The scene shifted and taehyung found himself Witnessing another devastating snippet of his life again.

Pushing the door open just a crack, Taehyung peeks inside. He barely dared to breathe as he crept closer, just enough to peek through the cracked door of his parent's bedroom, a painful ache settling deep within his chest.

Soomin stood before his father, her small frame shaking with barely contained fury, her hands clenched tightly at her sides.

"You lied to me," she said, "How long has this been going on?"

Taehyung's father, Taesung, sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes fixed on the floor, his shoulders slumped. He seemed smaller, like a man stripped of any dignity he might have once had. Still, he couldn't meet her gaze.

"It's not... it's not what you think," he stammered, his voice faltering.

Soomin let out a bitter laugh, one devoid of humour or hope. "Don't lie to me!" Her voice rose, breaking through the sorrow with a force that startled even Taehyung.

"I found the letters, the messages... all those excuses, all those nights you were 'working late.' How could you do this?"

Taesung shifted uncomfortably, his face twisted in something that resembled shame, though it was buried beneath a layer of resentment. He finally looked up at her, eyes cold and defensive. "I made a mistake," he mumbled, barely above a whisper.

"A mistake?" Soomin's voice cracked, disbelieving, a single tear slipping down her cheek. "You call this a mistake? Betraying our family, abandoning the people who love you—for what? For a courtesan?"

Her words hung in the air, heavy and unforgiving. But instead of remorse, something dark flickered across Taesung's face. He straightened, his shame morphing into something cruel.

"Stop acting like you're so perfect, Soomin," he snapped, his voice hardening. "Always playing the martyr. Do you think you're some kind of saint because you put up with me? You think you deserve a medal for staying at home while I work myself to the bone to keep this family afloat?"

Soomin flinched as if struck, her face paling at the venom in his words. But she held her ground, refusing to let him twist the blame onto her. "I sacrificed everything for this family," she replied, her voice shaking but resolute. "I put my dreams aside, I endured your anger, your outbursts, all because I believed you loved us. But it seems I was nothing more than a convenience for you."

Taehyung could feel the rage boiling within him as he watched his father, a man he had once respected, standing there with a sneer that seemed utterly devoid of guilt or empathy.

"Convenience?" Taesung scoffed, his voice laced with loathing. "If you'd been a little more understanding, a little less demanding, maybe I wouldn't have looked elsewhere. Do you ever stop to think about what I need? Or am I just supposed to be this perfect husband and father you've built up in that head of yours?"

Soomin's face crumpled as his words hit her like a slap. "I... I tried to understand. I tried to be there for you. But you never let me in, Taesung. I wasn't enough for you, was I? No matter how much I gave, it was never enough."

Taehyung's hands clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms as he watched his mother absorb the blows of his father's bitterness. The woman who had raised him shielded him from the harsh world, was now being torn apart by the one person who should have cherished her most.

"Enough?" Taesung laughed bitterly, his tone dripping with scorn. "You're right, Soomin—you weren't enough. All you did was cling to this idea of family, of perfection. You never understood what it's like to be a real man with real needs, constantly sacrificing for ungrateful mouths to feed."

"Maybe you're right," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Maybe I am foolish—for thinking you were a man worth sacrificing for. For believing you loved us enough to stay faithful, to respect the family we built together." Her voice wavered, but she met his gaze with unwavering strength. "But if that's what being a 'real man' means to you, Taesung, then I'd rather be alone than tied to someone so hollow."

With that, Soomin turned away. She left Taesung sitting there, the remnants of their shattered marriage lying scattered in the silence.

The memory began to fade, the room dissolving into shadows, but the pain carved into Taehyung's soul like an open wound.

Taehyung blinked, and suddenly he was no longer standing in the doorway, no longer watching his mother's heartbreak or feeling the sting of her unspoken sorrow. Instead, he found himself in the shadowy depths of a forest, watching his small hand clasped tightly in his father's rough grip. He watched as his father clutched his younger five-year self's hand into his.

The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and rotting wood.

"Dad, where are we going?" small Taehyung asks softly.

His father didn't respond but his grip on Taehyung's hand remained strong. They continue deeper into the forest, the path ahead covered by dense flora and fauna. Taehyung heard a faint sound echoing through the trees—a soft, muffled sobbing.

Confused, he turns to his father, who remains resolutely silent. Taehyung's brow furrows in concern as he realizes the sound is coming from nearby.

"Dad, do you hear that?" Taehyung asks, tugging gently on his father's hand.

His father stops abruptly, his eyes narrowing as he listens. "It's nothing,"

Just as Taehyung opened his mouth to question him further, a low growl resonated through the forest—a guttural, primal sound that reverberated through the ground beneath them. His eyes widened in terror as a monstrous shape materialized from the darkness.

"Dad, what is that?" Taehyung whispers, his voice trembling, his body paralyzed with fear.

But his father didn't answer. Instead, his expression shifted—his fear melting into something altogether different.

Anticipation.

Eagerness.

He took a step forward, facing the creature and Taehyung couldn't understand.

Taehyung watched, confused, as his father's voice broke the silence, trembling but full of a strange, desperate resolve.

"I've come as you asked," he said, his voice trembling. "You promised me... wealth. Fortune. I want a life without worry, without limits."

The creature—a Djinn, Taehyung realized with dawning horror—tilted its head, eyes glinting with a wicked intelligence. It listened, a smile curving at the edges of its mouth as if enjoying the desperation dripping from Taehyung's father's voice.

"Yes, I can grant your wish," the Djinn rumbled, its voice deep and smooth, like the murmur of a distant storm. "But a life of wealth, of boundless fortune... such gifts come with a price."

It cast a chilling glance at Taehyung, who shivered under its gaze.

"Name it," his father replied, "Whatever it is, I'll pay."

Taehyung's heart thudded wildly in his chest as he sensed the impending danger. The Djinn's gaze drifted back to him, its smile widening, showing too many teeth.

"I want the boy," the Djinn said, its voice echoing through the trees like a death knell.

"Once he turns eight, he will belong to me."

For the first time, Taehyung's father hesitated. He glanced at his son, his face flickering with something unreadable. But then his eyes hardened, greed and desperation overriding whatever paternal instinct might have been left in him. He swallowed, nodding slowly.

"If... if that's the price, then... then so be it."

Small Taehyung's world cracked as he saw his father accept the offer, eyes focused solely on the empty promises of wealth, oblivious to the silent plea in his young son's eyes. His father reached for a parchment and quill offered by the Djinn, his hand trembling as he signed.

The ink shimmered unnaturally, glowing a deep crimson as it etched onto the parchment, sealing their dark pact.

The moment the ink dried, the Djinn's form shifted, becoming a mist that enveloped them. Taehyung's father turned to him, his face strained, showing a hollow smile that felt like a slap to Taehyung's soul.

"It's... it's for the best, Taehyung," he murmured, his voice empty, devoid of any true comfort. "You'll understand someday."

Taehyung stared up at him, tears brimming in his eyes, unable to comprehend the magnitude of what had just happened.

His father—his protector—had just traded his future, his freedom, for riches he could barely grasp.

The betrayal wrapped around Taehyung's heart, even as the Djinn's mist faded, leaving behind an eerie silence that seemed to resonate with finality.

As the mist dispersed, Taehyung could feel something much darker live in over him, an unbreakable bond that tied him to the Djinn. He was left standing in the silence, his father's hollow promise hanging in the air, shattered by the price of greed.

Taehyung barely had a moment to catch his breath before the world around him shifted again. Another memory unfolded, as vivid and raw as if he were reliving it.

The familiar scene made his stomach twist—he knew this night too well.

There he was again, a small boy standing on the front porch, clutching his mother's hand tightly. His younger siblings huddled around her, their tiny faces etched with confusion and fear.

In the shadows, the adult Taehyung watched, his heart sinking as he saw his father's furious form storming in and out of the house, their few belongings tossed carelessly into battered suitcases.

"Get out!" his father roared through the quiet street.

The neighbours' lights flickered on, curious eyes peeking from behind curtains, but no one dared to intervene.

"I don't want to see any of you again!" His face was twisted with disgust and he felt a cruel satisfaction in each word, each insult that left his mouth like venom.

Soomin, her shoulders quaking, stepped forward, her voice barely a whisper. "Please... for the children, Taesung. Let's talk about this."

Her words only seemed to stoke his anger further. "You're a disgrace," he sneered, his eyes cold and unfeeling as they swept over her and the children. "I'm done with all of you."

Taehyung's young heart thudded with confusion and panic. He didn't fully understand why his father was doing this, why he was suddenly turning his back on them.

His small hand tightened around his mother's, feeling her trembling fingers, the desperation in her grip. His gaze flitted between his father, whose eyes were hard and distant, and his mother, who was struggling to keep her composure for their sake.

"Mom?" he whispered, tugging on her arm, his voice barely audible.

"Why are we leaving? Where are we going?"

His siblings' soft cries echoed his fear, their small bodies pressed against their mother as they clung to her skirts. His mother gathered them close, her arms enveloping them, a shield against the harsh world that seemed to have turned against them.

"We'll be okay," she murmured, though her voice was thick with tears. She stroked Taehyung's hair, her other hand soothingly rubbing his sister's back. "We'll find somewhere safe."

Taehyung watched as his father, without a single glance back, grabbed the last suitcase and threw it onto the sidewalk. His mother tried to shield their eyes, but Taehyung caught a glimpse of his father's icy glare and saw the finality in his gaze as he turned and slammed the door behind him.

The loud bang echoed in the still night, closing off the home they had once known, the life they'd thought was theirs.

They stood there on the sidewalk, under the streetlights, a single suitcase between them and the rest of the world. Young Taehyung's eyes filled with tears as he clutched his mother's skirt, looking back at the house, now dark and silent.

"Mom," he choked, his voice trembling, "why is Auntie staying with Dad?"

His innocent question, one that he could barely grasp the meaning of, caused his mother's face to crumple. She looked away, hiding her pain behind a brave smile as she hugged him and his siblings tighter.

At that moment, adult Taehyung felt an ache deep in his chest. He wished he could reach out, to shake his younger self awake from the dream of childhood innocence. "Because your father chose someone else," he wanted to scream, the words clawing at his throat. But he remained trapped in the shadows, unable to change the course of history.

"She... she's just... helping him," she whispered, her voice thick with barely restrained sorrow.

Young Taehyung watched, his brow furrowing as he attempted to piece together the puzzle of his mother's sadness, the absence of his father, the presence of Auntie. He didn't grasp the betrayal behind closed doors, nor the way trust had been broken.

He only saw the cracks forming in the perfect picture of the family he had once known.

"Mom, are we going to be okay?" he asked, his voice trembling with innocence.

"We'll be okay, Taehyung. We'll always be okay, as long as we have each other." But the way her voice quaked betrayed her, and adult Taehyung could feel the tension, the cracks that had formed in her heart.

The adult Taehyung felt helpless as he looked at his younger self, clinging to his mother with that innocent trust, believing her promise even as she held back her own heartbreak.

He could feel the tears streaming down his face as he watched her—watched the mother who had sacrificed so much, shielding her children even as her own heart shattered. And as young Taehyung wiped his eyes, trying to be strong, the older Taehyung felt the bitter sting of guilt, the longing to somehow reach across time, to comfort his younger self, to tell his mother that one day, he'd make sure they would find peace.

Taehyung understood that this was not just a memory—it was a turning point, a moment when everything changed and the innocent boy he once was would have to face a world that was far more complex and painful than he could ever imagine.

The scene shifted once more. Taehyung found himself standing in the corner of a sunlit room.

It was Taehyung's eighth birthday morning, a day that should have been filled with laughter and joy, but instead, it felt heavy with a tension.

Young Taehyung stood at the centre of the room, a small figure with wide, hopeful eyes, clutching a balloon in one hand and a half-eaten slice of cake in the other. The bright colours around him seemed to blur as he focused on the door, where a familiar figure stood just outside—their father.

Kim Taesung.

After three long years of absence, Taesung had returned and his presence sent a ripple of excitement through young Taehyung. But adult Taehyung could feel the uncertainty hanging in the air. He watched his father stepped inside with a confident smile plastered on his face.

"Happy birthday, son," Taesung boomed, his voice echoing with a false cheerfulness.

He stepped forward, opening his arms wide for a hug, but young Taehyung hesitated, caught between the innocent yearning for his father's affection and the vague unease that gnawed at him.

Taesung knelt, his gaze piercing. "I've missed you so much, Taehyung. You've grown into such a handsome young man."

In the next moment, Taehyung found himself pulled by his father.

"Come let me take you to a beautiful place, birthday boy," Taesung smirked evilly as he dragged little Taehyung with him.

"Dad, where are we going?" Taehyung's voice trembled, panic lacing his words. He pulled against his father's grip, but it only tightened, a reminder of the power his father wielded over him.

"We're going to make everything right, Taehyung," he replied, the sweet lilt in his tone sending chills down the boy's spine.

As they descended the stairs, Taehyung's fear intensified. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being led into a trap, a dark fate that awaited him.

"Stop!" Soomin shouted, her voice echoing through the hallway.

Taesung turned sharply, surprise and anger flashing across his face at the sight of her. "This is none of your business," he retorted, his grip on Taehyung tightening as if trying to shield him from the truth.

Soomin stepped forward, "He's my son," she declared firmly. "You will not take him."

Taehyung watched the standoff unfold, his father's mask of sweetness shattering in the face of his mother.

"I won't let you ruin his life," Soomin said. "Not like this."

Taehyung rushed into her arms. "Mom," he whispered, tears streaming down his cheeks, "I was scared."

His mother held him tight, pressing a tender kiss to his head. "I'm here, Taehyung," she murmured soothingly. "I will always protect you."

But in a violent motion, Taesung forcefully swatted Soomin away, her body stumbling back as he stepped forward, a cruel glint in his eyes. Taehyung panicked. "No!" he cried out, but his father's grip was relentless, dragging him away from the safety of his mother's arms.

"Stop this, Taesung!" Soomin shouted. She regained her footing, stepping in front of her husband, her heart pounding in her chest.

"You can't just take him. Do you even understand what you're doing? This pact with the Djinn—it's a curse!"

Taesung scoffed, a cocky grin spreading across his face. "Curse? You've always been so dramatic, Soomin. This is our chance for greatness, for wealth! I'm simply allowing Taehyung to become something more."

He glanced at his son. "You'll see, son. This is for your good."

Taehyung longed to cling to his mother but was helpless against Taesung's powering grip.

"I want to stay with Mom!" he shouted, the plea echoing off the walls, a desperate attempt to reclaim his innocence.

But Taesung only laughed, the sound cold and devoid of real warmth.

"You don't get to decide, boy. I'll show you what it means to be a real man."

With that, he turned on his heel, dragging Taehyung out of the building and into the streets.

They stepped into the harsh light of day, Taehyung glanced back at the apartment. His mother stood at the entrance, her hand reaching out as if she could bridge the gap that had opened between them.

"Taehyung!" Soomin's voice pierced through the chaos, and he felt a pang of longing for her embrace, her words of comfort. But Taesung continued to pull him away, each step feeling like a betrayal, a surrender to the darkness that loomed ahead.

"Please, Dad! Don't do this!" Taehyung begged, his small voice laced with panic, but his pleas fell on deaf ears as they made their way through the busy streets, the noise of the world drowning out the cries of a child lost in the shadows of a father's ambition.

□■□

In another haunting snippet, Taehyung found himself standing in the dimly lit hallway of a sprawling mansion. He crept, his small feet barely making a sound on the polished floor, curiosity piquing as he approached the source of the conversation.

As he rounded a corner, he spotted his father, Taesung, seated at a lavishly adorned table. Across from him sat a woman, back facing Taehyung.

Taehyung's young mind struggled to grasp the moment, innocence shielding him from the darker realities.

"I can't keep her, Taesung," the lady said, "This is not the life I envisioned. I won't be tied down by a child."

Taesung leaned forward, "You don't have to keep her. Just nurture her until she's old enough.  You can raise her as your own."

Taehyung felt a shiver run down his spine at the words. The concept of abandonment began to creep into his young consciousness, but he couldn't fully grasp the implications.

"Why should I do this for you?" the woman challenged, crossing her arms defiantly. "I have my own life to live. Why should I be responsible for a girl who's not mine?"

Taesung's smile widened, "Because, my dear, I'll make it worth your while. In return for your 'care', you'll have everything you've ever wanted. You'll be secure, and the girl will never stand in your way. Just think of her as an investment."

The lady's sigh was the only thing heard in the dark room.

"Okay, but what about the people around me? Won't they question this sudden presence of child in my life,"

"I have a plan for it," Taesung leaned back in his chair, " We could take her to the river. It would be easy to make it seem like an accident."

His voice dripped with cold detachment as if he were discussing a mere inconvenience rather than the fate of a child.

"You mean... drown her?"

Taesung chuckled, unfazed. "No, no, nothing so messy. I will take her to the riverbank, leave her there for a moment. You'll be the one who 'rescued' her, the woman who pulled a baby from the water, a gift from the river. It'll give you an instant backstory and nobody will question you."

Little Taehyung frowned at his monster father's words. The idea of abandoning a child to the unforgiving waters was incomprehensible.

It wasn't just cruel—it was monstrous.

"Are you serious?" the woman said, " What if she doesn't make it?"

Taesung waved his hand dismissively, "It's a risk we'll have to take. But think of the benefits, my dear. You'll be a heroine, and I'll be free from any ties to the girl. No one will ever need to know the truth. We can ensure our futures, just as we've always planned."

"Fine," the woman finally said, "If it's truly necessary, I'll play the part. I'll tell everyone I found her by the river, that the waters were kind enough to grant me a child."

■□■

The scene shifted abruptly, pulling Taehyung deeper into the maze of his memories. He found himself standing in the grand foyer of a mansion. His father's hand was firm around his small wrist, guiding him toward a room at the end of a long, dimly lit corridor.

As they entered the room, Taehyung's breath caught in his throat. There, in the centre of the room, stood a crib, its white paint gleaming under the chandelier. A baby lay nestled within, her tiny chest rising and falling rhythmically. A caretaker stood beside her, ensuring her peaceful slumber.

Taehyung approached the crib cautiously, his innocent eyes wide with curiosity. Taehyung's smile widened as the baby's beautiful doe eyes fluttered open. He gazed down at her, mesmerized by the way her tiny face lit up at the sight of him.

Without thinking, he gently extended his fingers toward her slowly afraid to startle her. The baby's tiny hand reached out instinctively.

To his surprise, the baby grasped his finger in firm grip that it startled him, but it was warm. Her tiny fingers wrapped around his.
For a moment, Taehyung forgot everything. The expectations, the responsibilities that his father had placed on him, all of it faded.

He held her hand gently and felt to become the protector. The small hand curled around his own seemed like a promise.

But the moment shattered like a glass when Kim Taesung  stepped inside the room. Their connection broke and hands pulled apart.

His father stepped forward. Gently, he lifted the baby girl from her crib. "Come with me, Taehyung," Taesung said quietly.

Without a word, Taehyung followed his father out of the mansion, their footsteps echoing softly against the marble floors. They walked in silence. The mansion faded behind them as they stepped into the cool night air, arriving at a secluded riverbank bathed in the pale light of the moon.

"Dad, why are we here?" Taehyung's voice trembled with uncertainty.

"Taehyung," he said, his voice unnervingly calm, "sometimes there are things too complicated for you to understand."

Taesung placed the baby girl gently on the cool grass near the riverbank. Taehyung's eyes darted to the baby lying by the riverbank, her small form illuminated by the pale glow of the moon.

The one-month-old baby looked so fragile, her tiny fists curling and uncurling as she squirmed on the damp grass. An urgency swelled in Taehyung's chest, stronger than anything he'd ever felt. He was only a child himself, but the sight of the baby alone and vulnerable triggered something deep inside him—a need to protect.

"No, Dad," he pleaded, his voice trembling with desperation. "She'll be scared. She'll be... hurt. We can't leave her here. Please, let's take her back."

Taesung sighed, "This isn't your concern, Taehyung and don't speak of this again. You have no idea what's at stake."

"But she's just a baby!" Taehyung's voice grew louder, panic lacing every word. "What if something happens to her? You can't just leave her here alone!"

Taesung's eyes softened, but the look vanished as quickly as it appeared. He turned away, pulling his phone out and muttering to someone on the other end of the line. Taehyung barely registered the words; his focus was on the baby, her doe-eyes open and staring up at him with innocent curiosity, unaware of the dark fate that hovered over her.

Unable to stand by any longer, Taehyung took a step toward the baby, his small hand reaching out instinctively. "It's okay," he whispered, hoping his voice would comfort her. "I won't let anything bad happen to you."

But as he moved closer, his father's hand shot out, gripping his shoulder with a strength that made him wince.

"Step back," Taesung ordered, his tone sharp and unyielding.

"No! I won't leave her here!" Taehyung cried, twisting out of his father's grasp with a sudden strength. He rushed forward, crouching protectively over the baby, his young arms creating a fragile barrier between her and the world.

Taesung's gaze hardened, his voice devoid of empathy. "This was the only way to ensure our family's future. The Djinn has promised us prosperity beyond our wildest dreams. Sacrifices must be made for greatness."

The monster father pushed Taehyung, removing the fragile barrier between the baby and the cruel world.

Taesung crouched down to cradle a tiny bundle wrapped tightly in a blanket. The infant made a faint, fragile sound—a soft whimper, barely audible in the silence. He placed the baby gently into a small casket, lined with rough cloth and nothing else to shield her from the chill.

His father's expression remained cold, his gaze fixed on the water ahead. The river flowed silently beside them, its dark waters reflecting the pale moonlight like shards of broken glass.

Without hesitation, Taesung gave the casket a slight push, watching as it slid from the muddy bank into the river's grip. The baby made a faint sound again, a soft cry that tugged painfully at Taehyung's heart. He wanted to demand his father stop, to plead with him to reconsider, but no sound came from his mouth.

The small vessel floated unsteadily on the water's surface, rocking gently as it was pulled farther away. Taehyung could only watch, his chest tight with horror and sorrow, as the casket drifted, carried downstream by the current.

Then, the casket glimmered under the moonlight, a sliver of hope amid despair. And yet, that fleeting glint faded into the darkness, the river winding onward, taking with it a soul Taehyung would never forget.

——🥀——

Years slipped by like shadows, each one pulling Taehyung further into the dark fate his father had set.

At first, the changes were subtle—a sense of dread here, a restless night there.

But with each passing month, Taehyung felt a presence creeping through his mind, growing stronger and darker. It whispered to him in dreams, leaving him drenched in sweat by morning.

Sometimes he'd wake up with no memory of the dreams, but the unease lingered, like an itch he couldn't scratch.

As Taehyung grew older, the shadows deepened.

He began avoiding sunlight, preferring the hollow embrace of darkened rooms. He would slip away from friends without explanation, gravitating toward forgotten corners of the world where he could be alone with the darkness festering within him.

Soomin watched helplessly as her son slipped further and further away. Once her joyful, bright-eyed boy, Taehyung now moved through life as though haunted, weighed down by a gloom she could neither see nor touch. She sought out mystics, healers, priests—anyone who might offer hope.

They'd bring their charms and chants, their bundles of sage and salt, but nothing seemed to pierce the curse's grip on her son. He'd grown resistant, hardened as if his very soul was wrapped in an armour forged from despair.

And then there were the outbursts.

Sometimes Taehyung would fall into anger he couldn't control, snapping at friends and family, and shattering objects in a blind rage, only to break down in guilt and shame once the storm passed. He'd sit in his room afterwards, staring at his shaking hands, his face drawn with horror at what he was becoming.

It terrified him, but he couldn't find a way back.

Yet, through it all, Taehyung fought. He fought with every ounce of his will, clinging to memories of better days.

In those rare moments when his mind was clear, Taehyung would look up at the night sky and wonder if the curse could ever be broken. He longed to escape, to find some way to reverse what had been done to him.

The tiny girl—the baby left by the river, raised by the courtesan, now lived a parallel life in the shadows. Her destiny, too, had been marked by his father's betrayal.

Taehyung often thought of her. He imagined her face and wondered if she was haunted by the same darkness that consumed him.

But he had no answers, and the burden of not knowing gnawed at him.

The years went on, and Taehyung's life became a battle—a tug-of-war between his desire for freedom and the curse that chained him. He didn't know if he would ever find a way out, or if his soul would forever remain bound to the shadows, but he resolved to fight, even if only to delay the day when the Djinn would claim him entirely.

Taehyung's chest heaving as though he'd just run miles. Without thinking, he bolted, his legs carrying him forward through the darkness. He runs frantically through a landscape devoid of light, his footsteps echoing hollowly against the void.

No matter how fast or far he runs, the darkness remains steadfast, unyielding to his desperate attempts to escape.

Taehyung's heart pounds in his chest, each beat echoing like a drum in the silent abyss. Panic grips him as he searches for any sign of light or hope, but only an impenetrable blackness stretches out endlessly before him.

Breathless and trembling, Taehyung stumbles forward. Shadows flicker at the corner of his vision, whispering taunts and threats that send a chill down his spine.

"Mom!" Taehyung's voice echoes into the emptiness, pleading for her comfort and guidance. But his cries go unanswered, lost in the darkness surrounding him.

Taehyung collapses to his knees, tears streaming down his face. He feels utterly alone, trapped in a nightmare from which there seems to be no escape.

Physically, he might curl into himself, shoulders hunched forward to shield his heart from further hurt. His breath comes in ragged gasps, each inhalation a struggle against the tightening of his throat.

Emotionally, Taehyung's pain manifests as a silent scream that echoes through his mind, a cry for understanding and release from the torment that grips him. Memories flash before his eyes — moments of betrayal, loss, and heartache that etch themselves deep into his consciousness.

All around him, Taehyung saw nothing but darkness and felt nothing but pain.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───