Konstantin's voice filtered through the door like a low hum.
"Mr. Satoru, are you alright?... Alright, I'm coming in."
The doorknob turned. The heavy door creaked open.
Rin flinched. His body was still trembling slightly from adrenaline, his breaths shallow and uneven. He hadn't had time to reset, to compose himself. And there—of course—was Kai, leaning lazily against the side of the bed like he hadn't just pulled one of the dirtiest plays imaginable.
"Oh, please, do come in," Kai said casually, straightening his posture like a gracious host. "I was just borrowing a book."
He didn't even try to mask the smirk curling across his lips as he strolled past Konstantin, shooting Rin a knowing, amused look. Like this was all part of some clever little script he'd written.
Piece of shit, Rin thought, jaw clenched.
He wanted to lunge across the room and slam Kai's face into the dresser.
Instead, he steadied his breathing and forced himself to look composed as Konstantin entered, his presence already shifting the air in the room.
The door shut behind him with an ominous click.
Konstantin cleared his throat, ever the picture of aristocratic elegance… though his eyes betrayed something else. Something calculating. Predatory.
"Yes… What brings you here?" Rin said, voice clipped, expression as neutral as he could manage.
"Well, actually…" Konstantin's voice trailed, his gaze drifting downward.
Rin blinked, confused—then followed the man's line of sight.
Oh, you've gotta be kidding me.
His zipper was still halfway undone. That bastard.
Rin's face twitched in frustration as he zipped up swiftly, trying to hide his growing disgust. His brain was already cataloguing it—Kai had done it on purpose. The timing, the positioning, the whole damn setup.
He left me wide open—like bait.
Konstantin, undeterred, stepped closer and took Rin's hand—his touch smooth, practiced, rehearsed. "There's an item that's been left in my care," he said, voice like silk spun over something cold and sharp. "Every powerful figure in Russia right now is very interested in it. They say they'll pay any price to get their hands on it once it hits the market."
He smiled. "But I'm curious… is that hunk of metal really so valuable? I'd like your opinion on it."
Rin swallowed the bile rising in his throat. He could feel the pressure building under his skin, like a thousand fire ants crawling in his veins. But he forced his voice to stay cool. Flat.
"Sure," Rin said, slipping into the role. "It may as well be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, right?"
Konstantin smiled, clearly pleased with the answer.
The man turned and gestured for Rin to follow.
Hook baited. Line cast.
Rin followed behind quietly, boots echoing along the corridor's marble floors. Their footsteps rang against the quiet as the hallway stretched longer and longer than it should have.
Then—Konstantin stopped in front of a nondescript white door.
He pressed his face to a biometric scanner—a retinal and fingerprint lock—and after a quick mechanical chirp, the door slid open.
Of course. Figures.
"There are a total of three doors leading to his bedroom," Rin noted mentally, his gaze sweeping across the frames and corners. Each one requires a full biometric confirmation. Not to mention the cameras. This guy's practically living inside a fortress.
Just what the hell is he hiding in there?
They stepped inside, and Rin immediately felt the shift.
The room was decadent. Excessively so.
Crimson velvet curtains spilled across the walls like spilled wine. Ornate mirrors framed the ceiling above the bed—mirrors Rin very intentionally avoided looking at. The bed itself looked like it belonged in a palace—oversized, carved wood frame, silk sheets, golden accents.
Rin tried not to let the room affect him, but everything about it made his skin crawl.
It wasn't just the luxury—it was the implication. The entire room was designed for voyeurism. For power. For watching and being watched.
Ugh. Kai was right. This place screams pervert with a God complex.
"I'm guessing this is the part where you offer me a drink," Rin said dryly.
Konstantin chuckled. "You read my mind."
He walked over to a sleek, embedded bar and poured two glasses of amber liquid. "It's a very good whisky," he said. "From Morocco. Aged thirty years. Hard to find anywhere else in the world."
Rin accepted the glass without a word.
He tilted it slightly—just enough to catch the light. At the bottom, a faint swirl of powder, almost undetectable.
You're not even subtle about it, huh? Rin thought. What kind of idiot do you think I am?
He brought the glass up, just enough to pretend he was sipping, then smoothly set it down on a side table while Konstantin's back was turned.
"Where's the item?" Rin asked, tone colder now. He remained standing, keeping a good distance between himself and the bed.
Konstantin didn't answer immediately. Instead, he sat down—no, sprawled—on a red velvet armchair, his eyes fixed on Rin with something far too intense. He swirled the whisky in his glass lazily, but his stare didn't waver.
"There's no need to rush," he said, voice low. "We have time."
Rin resisted the urge to grimace.
There it is. That shift. The change in tone. Like he's not even pretending anymore.
He glanced around the room, mentally recalling the blueprint.
If there's a secret compartment, it should be behind the mirrored wall on the east side. I need a way to get him to look away… or leave the room. Fast.
But Konstantin wasn't giving him any openings. His gaze was locked, piercing—stripping, even.
Why the hell do I feel like I'm being hunted in a lion's den? Rin thought, spine stiff.
Konstantin tilted his head. "You really are striking, Mr. Satoru. Confident. Sharp. I can see why they sent you."
Konstantin didn't say a word. Just stared. That disgusting, heavy-lidded gaze—like he was imagining things Rin wouldn't tolerate even in his nightmares.
Then, slowly, like some sleazy snake shedding its skin, Konstantin began to undress. First his blazer hit the floor. Then his shirt. His belt came next. The slacks dropped. Soon he was left in nothing but tight, black boxers that did nothing to flatter him. And everything to make Rin's stomach churn.
Rin instinctively took a step back. His skin crawled.
What the fuck is this man doing?
No, correction—what the actual fuck does he think he's doing?
But Konstantin was already moving forward, emboldened. He grabbed Rin by the waist with calloused hands—uninvited, unwelcomed—pressing their bodies together.
Rin tensed as Konstantin's chest pressed against his back, hot breath hitting his nape in sharp pants. The man's hands roamed with zero shame, groping his chest like Rin was some kind of object. Then he licked his neck—slow and disgusting—and began grinding against him like a dog in heat.
This is a nightmare.
It's like a horny pig's trying to hump me. Gross. Disgusting.
I should let Kai get stabbed for this.
"くそー," Rin muttered, teeth clenched.
Konstantin paused, breath ragged. "Huh… what did you say?" he murmured, still licking, panting against Rin's skin like some unwashed mutt in heat.
That was it. That was the final straw.
Rin's fingers wrapped around Konstantin's wrist like a vice. "I said—"
And then—slam.
With a fluid motion, Rin pivoted and hurled Konstantin over his shoulder like a bag of dead meat. The man crashed to the ground with a loud thud, limbs sprawling out like a disjointed puppet.
"I can't take another second of this nasty shit," Rin spat, wiping at his neck like it was soaked in acid. "What an absolute degenerate. You belong in a fucking cage."
He backed up toward the table, trying to reorient himself. Still disgusted. Still seething.
Then—his phone rang.
Of course. Perfect timing.
Only the universe would call me now.
The screen lit up with a name: Aoki.
"Huh? Why the hell is she calling me now?" Rin muttered, still rubbing at his neck like it was infected.
He answered. "Hello?"
"SENPAI!!! £"$£"$%&'"@!" Aoki shrieked on the other end, her voice completely incomprehensible.
Rin winced, yanking the phone from his ear. "Are you trying to make me deaf?! Take your damn time and breathe. Speak like a person."
"A-Are you okay?! Where are you?!"
"Relax. What are you talking about? Did you find out what I asked you?"
But Aoki didn't answer. Her voice cracked. "J-Just who the hell are you with right now?!"
Rin's brows furrowed. "What?"
"Do you have any idea?! He is—he's—"
Her voice broke into sobs. Rin could barely understand her.
"Oh my GOD, Aoki, SPEAK PROPERLY—" Rin snapped, glancing over his shoulder as if trying to spot her through the phone.
That's when he noticed it.
The empty space.
The silence.
Konstantin was gone.
"Shit." Rin's voice dropped, eyes scanning the room. "Where did he go—?"
He barely had a second to react before something slammed into him from behind.
A sharp grunt tore out of Rin as his back hit the floor—Konstantin was on top of him, eyes wild, shirtless body sweaty and reeking of whiskey and desperation. In one hand—a syringe. The needle glinted like a fang under the room's dim lighting.
Where the hell did he even get a syringe from?! What is that, a sedative?!
"Get off—!" Rin twisted, trying to shove him back, but the weight was heavy—Konstantin wasn't weak, even if he was drunk off his ass.
The needle came dangerously close to his neck.
Nope. Not happening.
Rin gritted his teeth, then shifted his weight—and drove his knee straight into Konstantin's groin.
Hard.
A horrible, guttural choking sound came out of Konstantin as he immediately collapsed forward, curling inward like a punctured accordion.
"Ugghhh—!"
He slumped against Rin like a dead log.
Rin shoved the heavy body off with a grunt, chest heaving. His heart was hammering in his chest, sweat slicking the back of his neck.
He rolled onto his side and sat up, panting.
"Fucking hell, I thought I was gonna get squashed to death," he muttered, staring at the unconscious man beside him.
His hands were still shaking. Not from fear—but rage. From utter, simmering rage.
Rin crouched beside Konstantin's half-conscious body, his breath still uneven. His gaze flicked toward the pile of clothes discarded across the room.
He's out cold—for now. I need to find the key while I still can.
Quickly, Rin began rummaging through the clothes with precision. Nothing in the blazer. Nothing in the shirt. His eyes locked on the trousers.
He snatched them off the floor, rough in his movements, and yanked the belt free.
Maybe… maybe it's this. It's too heavy. Too stiff to be just a regular belt.
He inspected it more closely—his fingers pressing along the inner lining—until click.
A quiet, mechanical snap sounded, and the buckle popped open, revealing a hidden compartment. Inside were three small buttons, colored red, silver, and blue.
"Aha…" Rin smirked weakly, sweat still lining his brow. "Found it."
Now all I need to do is find the secret roo—
Suddenly, the floor tilted beneath him.
"Ugh—"
The world blurred sideways.
His knees buckled, and he collapsed against the cold marble floor. His chest rose and fell in quick, unsteady heaves. Dizzy. Weak. Disoriented.
What the hell—? I didn't even drink the whiskey…
He blinked rapidly, his vision pulsing like a camera shutter. Every breath felt shallow. His fingers trembled as he tried to push himself up.
Wait… did he actually hit me with that damn syringe? I thought I dodged it. Was he quicker than I thought…?
Rin grit his teeth. His jaw clenched.
This is bad. This is very bad. I don't even know what kind of drug he used…
He staggered onto one knee, gripping the edge of the bed for balance when he heard it—soft footsteps echoing down the corridor.
Someone's coming.
His breath caught.
Who the hell is that?
Then the voice—piercing, frantic, familiar.
"SENPAI!! IT'S HIM, SENPAI, IT'S THE GUY—SENPAI, ARE YOU THERE?!"
Aoki.
His heart jolted.
"Aoki—!"
But the line suddenly cut off.
Kai had entered the room, casually flipping Rin's phone shut like it was an inconvenience.
"Oh dear," Kai said lightly, like a cat toying with a mouse. "I came because I was worried about you… but what a mess you've made."
His grin stretched.
My instincts…
Rin's breath hitched. His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
My instincts are telling me to RUN.
But his limbs betrayed him. The drug was still in his system, dulling his reaction time, robbing him of strength.
Kai's grip found him easily.
He tossed Rin onto the bed with shocking ease, hovering over him like a wolf about to pounce. His face was unreadable—but his eyes sparkled with twisted amusement.
He's toying with me. Just like Konstantin. No… worse.
"Oh my, my," Kai said in a mock sing-song. "You even found the key. I'm very impressed."
He took the belt from Rin's limp grip and examined it, then, with a smirk, pressed one of the buttons.
A click sounded from across the room.
A wall panel shifted with a smooth mechanical hum, revealing a hidden compartment behind a massive portrait—an oil painting of several men seated together in regal suits. Ornate. Wealthy. Russian. The kind of painting that told a story without words.
Rin forced himself to focus, narrowing his eyes despite the haze.
Wait… these faces...
He studied them.
That's Dmitry Romanov. And his sons. And Konstantin…
But—someone was missing.
Where's Tsar Nochi Romanov? The most dangerous of them all?
He scanned the painting again.
And then… his heart dropped.
One of the men in the painting—he looked exactly like—
No.
Rin slowly turned his head.
Kai was standing there, calm. Relaxed. Too relaxed.
Rin's hand shot out and grabbed Kai's shirt, jerking it open—buttons popped and flew. His eyes locked onto the tattoo on Kai's chest. That same symbol. That same exact crest.
The Romanov family crest.
I saw it on Konstantin's front gate.
The mark of a high-ranking member.
No… no way. No fucking way.
He remembered.
Kai's offhand comment days ago—
"Tattoos say a lot in our world. Especially the Romanovs. They're a bit old-fashioned that way."
And now—right in front of him—the same tattoo inked into Kai's chest. Not fresh. Not fake. Old. Earned.
"...Oh, this?" Kai said smoothly, looking down at the exposed ink. "Surely, you didn't think you were the only one who knew how to hide behind a mask, did you?"
His grin widened, eyes glittering like broken glass.
"You're smart, Rin. That's why I like you."
Rin's breathing stalled.
It's him. It's really him.
Kai… is Tsar Nochi.
Rin's head reeled. The pounding in his skull was now joined by a molten heat surging beneath his skin. It wasn't normal—nothing about this was normal. His breathing grew erratic. His muscles trembled. Every breath he took made the air feel thick, almost sticky, like it clung to his lungs.
Then he realized it.
His body was releasing pheromones.
"No... no no no... shit."
His eyes widened, panic surfacing as the full horror of the drug began to settle in.
He used that kind of suppressant breaker on me?
Something primal screamed in his bones.
RUN.
A burst of adrenaline kicked in—just enough. Rin shoved Kai hard in the chest. His palms burned against Kai's body heat, and Kai stumbled back a single step, lips curling into something delighted.
Rin didn't wait. He turned and bolted—legs barely working. The floor under him swam and warped, but he forced one foot in front of the other.
Get out. Get out. Get out.
The long corridor stretched endlessly ahead, the cold walls lined with ornate sconces casting soft golden light. Every step echoed too loudly in the silence. His vision tunneled. The heat in his body made it feel like the walls themselves were sweating with him.
He didn't dare look back—until he had to.
His heart stopped.
Kai was walking after him.
Not running. Walking.
Slow. Purposeful. Leisurely. Like a predator who knows the prey can't escape.
"Oh Rin... you're finally showing some real emotion."
"No—NO!!" Rin gasped, his voice breaking. He turned too fast, stumbled, and collapsed—palms scraping the marble floor. He tried to scramble away, dragging his limp body forward with trembling arms.
"Somebody—help—" Rin thought, but the words never left his mouth. His throat burned too much to speak them out loud. His vision kept blacking out at the edges.
He heard the footfalls behind him stop.
Then—
Kai's voice, smooth as ever.
"Where are you going, huh?"
A hand fisted into Rin's hair, yanking his head back. The pain shot through his scalp, anchoring him into the moment.
Rin hissed, his arms flailing weakly. "No—let me go—you monster!!"
"This is why I like you. You're so righteous. So serious. Even when you're on the floor... broken... panting... drugged to hell... you're still fighting like it matters."
"Bastard," Rin hissed, teeth clenched, trying to elbow him.
Kai dodged it easily.
"That fire in your eyes," Kai murmured. "It's beautiful."
Rin glared at him, trembling. "You're insane."
Kai tugged Rin backwards by the hair, forcing him to slide across the polished floors like a discarded doll. Rin kicked out, but it was useless—his limbs were jelly.
"No...no...no...!" Rin gritted his teeth, clawing at the ground, at the doorframes, anything—
But he was being dragged.
Back into the room.
Back into his trap.
The lights inside felt darker now. Colder. The mirrors reflected distorted shapes. Kai's silhouette behind Rin looked impossibly tall in the reflection. Like a demon without a mask.
Kai tossed Rin onto the bed like luggage, then leaned over him, shadow blotting out the light.
"Awwn," Kai cooed with mocking affection. "You're even cuter when you try to run."
Rin's chest rose and fell rapidly. His hair stuck to his damp face. Every fiber of him wanted to scream, to kill, to fight—but his body betrayed him at every turn.
Focus. Think. Find a way out.
"You won't get away with this," Rin spat through gritted teeth. "I know what you are now."
Kai tilted his head. "Oh? And what am I?"