The drive back felt longer than it should have.
Kang Daehyun drove through the sleeping city with Minjun beside him in the back seat, the child wrapped in a small blanket that had slipped halfway to the floor. Streetlights passed over them one by one like slow pulses of amber light, each glow briefly illuminating Daehyun's tired face before darkness reclaimed it again.
The night air through the cracked window stung faintly against the sweat that had dried along his temples.
His body ached everywhere.
The knife wound beneath the bandage throbbed with every turn of the wheel, every bump in the road sending a ripple of pain up his ribs. His shoulders were stiff from the earlier struggle. His forearms were bruised in fading shades of purple and yellow beneath the sleeves of his shirt. The exhaustion inside him had reached a point where it almost felt unreal — as though his mind had detached from his body simply to keep moving.
Still, he drove.
Minjun stirred behind him.
"Daddy… home?" the child murmured sleepily.
Daehyun glanced in the rearview mirror. His voice softened immediately.
"Yeah. We're almost home."
Minjun yawned and leaned against the car seat, clutching the small stuffed dinosaur he insisted on bringing everywhere.
Daehyun tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
Home.
The word had once meant something warm. Safe. Easy.
Now it meant vigilance.
Now it meant war.
The House
The gates slid open silently when the car approached.
The mansion looked peaceful from the outside, lights dimmed, the wide glass windows reflecting the quiet garden beyond. Anyone looking at the property would assume a perfect life existed inside.
A wealthy young family.
A successful heir.
A brilliant wife.
A beloved child.
Nothing broken.
Nothing dangerous.
Nothing hidden.
Daehyun parked and stepped out, opening the back door carefully so Minjun wouldn't wake fully.
He lifted the boy into his arms.
Minjun's small head immediately fell against his shoulder.
"Daddy tired," the boy murmured.
Daehyun gave a faint smile.
"Daddy's okay."
He carried Minjun inside.
The moment the front door opened, he knew.
The silence wasn't normal.
There were sounds from deeper in the house.
Something crashing.
Something dragging.
His chest tightened.
Another episode.
Already.
His eyes closed briefly.
Not tonight.
But it didn't matter what he wanted.
The Panic
They stepped into the living room.
Sooah stood near the kitchen.
Her hair was loose and disheveled, her breathing uneven, her eyes wide and frantic as she scanned the room like a trapped animal searching for an escape.
She didn't recognize him.
Daehyun saw it immediately.
Her gaze landed on him — and pure fear flooded her expression.
"Who are you?!"
Her voice cracked through the room like glass breaking.
"Where am I?!"
Minjun stirred in his arms.
Daehyun's heartbeat slowed instead of speeding up.
The calm came automatically now.
Years ago he might have panicked.
Now he moved with practiced control.
"It's okay," he said quietly.
Wrong answer.
Sooah grabbed the nearest thing she could find on the counter.
A wooden chopping board.
"You kidnapped me!" she screamed.
The board came swinging toward him.
Impact
Daehyun twisted slightly, trying to shield Minjun.
The chopping board slammed against his shoulder with a loud crack.
Pain exploded down his arm.
He didn't make a sound.
Minjun woke fully now.
"Daddy?"
Daehyun shifted him slightly.
His voice stayed calm.
"Hey buddy… go to your room for a minute."
Minjun looked confused.
"Mommy mad?"
Daehyun forced a small smile.
"Mommy and Daddy are just playing."
The lie came smoothly.
"Go wait in your room, okay?"
Minjun hesitated.
Then he nodded and ran down the hallway.
Daehyun watched until the bedroom door closed.
Only then did he turn back.
The Struggle
Sooah was shaking now.
The chopping board was raised again like a weapon.
Her voice trembled.
"Don't come closer!"
Daehyun stepped forward slowly.
"Okay," he said softly.
Another swing came.
This one caught his ribs.
Right where the knife wound was.
The pain was blinding.
White-hot.
For a split second the room tilted.
He nearly dropped to one knee.
But he forced his legs to stay steady.
Minjun can't see that.
Sooah tried to run past him.
He caught her wrists.
Not harshly.
Just firmly enough to stop her.
She fought immediately.
Kicking.
Scratching.
Trying to bite.
"Let go of me!"
"I'm not hurting you," he said quietly.
"You are!"
She tried to swing the chopping board again.
He pulled it away gently and dropped it to the floor.
She hit his chest with both fists.
Over and over.
Every strike landed against bruised ribs and strained muscles.
He let her.
He only tightened his grip enough to stop her from hurting herself.
Or reaching the knives again.
Her breathing was ragged.
"You're insane! Let me go!"
He guided her backward slowly until the couch touched her legs.
Then he eased her down.
She still fought.
Still pushed.
Still clawed.
But the strength drained quickly once the panic started fading.
Episodes always burned hot.
And then they burned out.
Her body finally sagged.
Confusion replaced terror.
"W…what…"
She blinked up at him.
Her breathing slowed.
"Where…"
Daehyun knelt in front of her.
His shoulder throbbed.
His ribs burned.
Blood from the earlier stab wound had begun soaking through the bandage again.
But his voice stayed steady.
"You're home."
Her eyes searched his face.
Something familiar flickered there.
Then faded.
"I… feel weird…"
"That's okay," he said.
"You're safe."
She leaned back into the couch, exhausted.
Within minutes her eyes drifted closed again.
The episode had ended.
The Quiet After
The house fell silent again.
Daehyun stayed there for a moment, kneeling in front of her.
His breathing was uneven now that he was alone.
His ribs hurt.
His shoulder hurt.
His side felt wet with blood again.
But he didn't move yet.
He just looked at her sleeping face.
The woman who used to terrify boardrooms.
The woman who once ran empires without blinking.
The woman who had married him with absolute certainty.
Now fragile.
Lost inside her own mind.
He brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
"You're safe," he whispered again.
Even though she couldn't hear it.
Then he stood slowly.
Every muscle protested.
The hallway light flicked on.
Minjun peeked out.
"Daddy?"
Daehyun straightened instantly.
His smile returned.
"Hey buddy."
Minjun walked over sleepily.
"Mommy okay?"
Daehyun lifted him gently despite the pain.
"Yeah."
Minjun rested his head on his shoulder.
"Daddy strong."
Daehyun closed his eyes briefly.
"Go back to sleep."
Minjun nodded.
And trusted him completely.
Daehyun carried him down the hallway.
Behind them, Sooah slept peacefully on the couch.
Unaware of the battle she had just fought.
Unaware of the man who fought it with her.
Every single night.