Yul sat at the center of the penthouse living room, the dim glow of candles casting long shadows across the walls. His hands rested on his knees, but they weren't still—fingers twitched, tracing invisible patterns across the floor. His eyes, usually golden and mesmerizing, now flickered with a strange storm, shadows moving beneath the light.
Juno was the first to notice.
"Yul?" His voice was firm but carried an edge of panic. He stepped closer, arms ready, instinctively protective. "Talk to me. What's happening?"
Yul's lips moved, but no words emerged. Only a low hum, almost melodic, but wrong—discordant, like something pulling at his essence.
Dara leaned against the doorway, alert, eyes narrowing. "He's… different."
Rien had his notebook open, scribbling rapidly. "This isn't a song… it's a manipulation. He's rewriting the pattern inside Yul's mind."
Nox, normally playful, took a cautious step back. "Something's… wrong. I can feel it. His energy… it's like it's splitting."
The door clicked behind them. The air shifted immediately—the same way it did when the first man appeared years ago, the one Yul feared. He stood in the shadowed hallway, tall, elegant, impossibly composed. His gaze locked onto Yul like a predator closing in on prey.
"Yul," he said softly, almost tenderly, though the warmth in his voice was a lie. "Do you remember? It's time. You promised me once… you said you'd take the empire. Now, take it."
Yul trembled. A flash of fear—and longing—crossed his face. The man's presence was intoxicating, invasive. His control over Yul's thoughts was subtle but precise, threading through memories like silk, pulling at guilt, at loyalty, at desire.
Juno's fists clenched. "Step back."
"You don't understand," Yul's voice croaked, layered now with something else—a resonance that wasn't entirely his own. "I… I have to…"
Rien stepped forward, notebook ready. "He's planting fragments in your mind. Focus, Yul. Remember who you are. Who you protect."
Dara moved behind the man, a flare of defiance in her stance. "Get away from him!"
The man smiled, calm, unfazed by their aggression. "They can't stop what's coming. Only he can fulfill it—only Yul. And he'll do it willingly, or broken."
Yul's body shook violently. His hands clenched into fists. His head bowed, then raised slowly, eyes meeting each of his members. For a moment, it was Yul again—the leader they trusted. Then, the shadows returned, creeping across his skin, twisting his posture, bending him to the intruder's will.
Nox's voice broke through, sharp and loud. "He's trying to take you! Fight it, Yul!"
Something primal roared inside Yul—love, loyalty, fear—but the man's influence was strong. Slowly, agonizingly, Yul's expression hardened, his golden eyes dimming as the intruder's whispers tangled with his own thoughts.
"Monarch would never forgive you if you fail," Juno said, voice trembling, reaching for Yul's hand.
Yul's hand twitched, hesitated, but didn't move. The man's presence pressed closer, and Yul whispered, "I… I have no choice."
The room felt suffocating. The air burned with energy—old magic, blood ties, and something far darker. Dara clenched her fists; Rien muttered incantations under his breath; Nox's eyes glowed faintly as he tried to pierce the veil of control.
And yet, the man smiled, patient, certain.
"You see? You are mine, in the way you always feared."
Yul's lips parted, his voice layered with both defiance and surrender. "I… will do it… but not without them…"
The man's smile faltered just slightly. That word—them—reminded him that Yul's loyalty was stronger than his manipulation.
Juno exhaled slowly. "We're not letting you take him," he said, voice low but deadly.
Rien's pen glowed faintly as he scribbled, words forming protective sigils in the air.
Dara moved, circling Yul to block the intruder. "He's ours," she said, voice shaking with intensity. "You touch him, and you die."
The man tilted his head, intrigued. "Interesting. Very well. We shall see who wins."
The intruder's presence lingered, but the group closed ranks around Yul. Shadows still clung to his skin, whispering, but his breathing steadied slightly, his fingers flexing.
"You're not alone, Yul," Nox said softly, a spark of hope breaking through. "We're here."
For a heartbeat, Yul's eyes gleamed with gold again—fierce, alive, resisting. And the first real step toward reclaiming control had begun.