Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The sleek black luxury vehicle pulled to a smooth stop outside the imposing gates of the Northern family's mansion.

Stepping out into the courtyard, Kevin hurried over, his face etched with anxiety. "What happened? Did you get her back?"

"Nothing happened," David replied flatly, walking past him.

Kevin blinked, looking between David and Laura. "Wait... so her crazy story is actually true?"

"Yes," David muttered. "It seems it really is."

Kevin turned his gaze to Laura, his tone shifting to teasing disbelief. "So, in the end, you're just an ancient woman trapped in a teenager's body."

He had expected her to snap back or start a fiery argument, but instead, Laura's expression crumpled into deep, silent sorrow. Without a word, she turned away, walking inside and heading straight up the stairs to her room.

Kevin watched her go, a sudden pang of confusion hitting him. "What's wrong with her?"

"It's none of your business," David said coldly. "Go to sleep."

"Why are you always ordering me around like a child?" Kevin snapped.

David stopped, turning around to fix him with a deadly serious glare. "Go to sleep. Now."

Gritting his teeth, Kevin muttered under his breath, "Okay."

Dragging his feet, Kevin climbed to the second floor. As he passed the corridor, he noticed the door to Laura's room was cracked open. Pushing it slowly, he found her standing motionless by the open balcony door, staring out into the dark night with an air of utter defeat.

"What happened to you?" Kevin asked softly, stepping inside.

Laura didn't look at him. "I'm just... so tired of running away from Sean. I think I'm finally going to give in to him."

A dark flash of anger crossed Kevin's features. Clenching his fist, he slammed it with all his might against the wall right beside her face, the wood splintering slightly under the impact. He glared down at her. "Are you out of your mind?! Are you really just going to give up?!"

Startled, Laura flinched, staring up at him with wide, frightened eyes.

Realizing he had terrified her, Kevin instantly softened. He lowered his hand, gently touching his own face in regret. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you."

A faint, bittersweet smile touched Laura's lips. "Don't be. Hearing you say that... it woke something back up inside me. You're right. I won't give up."

Kevin nodded firmly. "Never let anyone force you to surrender. Do what you want. If you just bow down and do what others demand of you, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Laura looked up at him thoughtfully, noticing the raw intensity in his eyes. "Kevin... did something bad happen to you in your past?"

Kevin clenched his fist again, a sudden flash of a dark, forgotten memory slicing through his mind—*a cold, pitch-black room, echoes of screaming, and his own hands slick with hot blood.*

He forced a stiff, mocking smile, shaking his head. "What are you talking about? Don't be so dramatic. Go to bed."

"Okay," Laura whispered, stepping back.

***

Inside his own bedroom, Kevin locked the door and slumped against it. He raised his trembling right hand, staring at his shaking fingers in the pale moonlight spilling through the window.

"The time is approaching," he murmured, his voice tightening with dread.

He clenched his fist so hard his knuckles turned white, sliding slowly down to sit on the edge of the bed. A heavy, suffocating sadness settled over him. I'm afraid...

One year ago, at a high school far away...

Eighteen-year-old Kevin stood in the locker room, his pale skin stark against the dark, messy hair falling over his eyes. His hands were dripping with blood, and a terrifying, feral rage burned in his gaze.

He had pinned a senior student against the lockers, raining violent, brutal blows down on him. Two other boys were already unconscious on the floor, and Kevin looked ready to beat the last one to death.

"Stop! Please stop!" the boy shrieked, tears streaming down his bruised face. "I'll never mess with you again! Please!"

"You think I'm going to stop now?" Kevin snarled, drawing back his fist.

"Please don't kill me!"

Before Kevin could strike again, heavy footsteps echoed down the hall as teachers rushed in, horrified by the carnage. One of them gasped, staring at the blood-soaked floor. "What kind of violent monster is this boy?!"

Later that evening, inside their home, Kevin's mother paced the living room, her voice shaking with fury. "Again?! Haven't you had enough of these brutal fights?! You've done nothing but cause problems since we moved here!"

Kevin ignored her, walking straight past toward the stairs.

"Stop right there! Where do you think you're going?" she shouted.

Kevin paused, turning his head with a cold, dead-eyed glare. "To my room."

"Why are you acting like this?!" she cried, tears of frustration in her eyes. "You used to be such a diligent, quiet student! Everyone praised you! What on earth happened to make you into this violent monster?"

Kevin scoffed, a dark laugh escaping his lips. "This is my true nature. I always wanted to fight, I just used to hold myself back. But things are different now."

"Different how?!" she demanded. "Your uncle said you needed to focus so you could graduate and enter a good university!"

"I don't care about what my uncle thinks, and I don't care about what you want me to become," Kevin spat back. "I'm going to be whatever the hell I want to be."

His mother's face hardened with finality. "Fine. If you refuse to change, I'm calling your uncle tomorrow. He knows how to handle violent delinquents like you. I'll ask him to pull you out of this school and take you under his strict control. We'll see how tough you are then."

Kevin turned his back on her, walking up to his room without another word. Take me with him? Let's see if he survives trying.

***

Back to the present...

The next morning, the three of them sat around the breakfast table in a tense silence.

Kevin cleared his throat, looking over at Laura. "By the way... you haven't really seen the modern town yet, have you?"

Laura's eyes lit up slightly. "No... everything has changed so much. I'd love to see how much it's grown."

"Great," Kevin grinned, standing up. "Let's go. I'll show you the best spots."

David slammed his fork down, his voice sharp and unyielding. "Sit back down and finish your breakfast. You aren't stepping foot outside until your plate is clean."

Laura flinched, quickly sitting back down in sheer habit. "O-Okay..."

Kevin chuckled softly, leaning over to whisper teasingly, "What's the matter? Scared of a guy younger than you?"

"I am not afraid," Laura whispered back defensively.

"Prove it. Stand up to him right now."

Laura hesitated. She glanced sideways at David, catching the sharp, warning glint in his eyes. Instantly lowering her gaze, she muttered under her breath, "It's too scary. I can't do it, Kevin... he'll kill me easily."

Kevin let out a dry, sarcastic laugh. "Relax, he's not going to murder his own cousin."

***

A short while later, the heavy front doors opened, and Kevin called out into the courtyard, "Laura, hurry up! We don't have all day!"

Laura stepped out of the mansion wearing a chic, modern dress, smoothing down the fabric. "I'm right here. Let's go."

As they strolled through the bustling streets of the town, Laura looked around in genuine wonder, taking in the towering buildings and flashing signs.

"Laura! Laura, wait!"

She froze, turning around at the familiar voice. To her surprise, Bill came jogging up to her, looking slightly out of breath. "Laura! Are you okay? After what happened the other day... I was so worried about your leg!"

Laura instinctively stepped back, pulling her hand away as Bill reached out. "I'm fine, Bill. Really, you don't need to worry."

Kevin crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "Wait... are you the guy who came running to us for help?"

Bill smiled warmly, nodding at Laura. "Yes! I was terrified when that brute dragged you away, so I ran straight to your family's estate to get help. I'm so glad it worked."

"Thank you, Bill," Laura said politely, trying to edge away. "I appreciate it, but I have to go—"

Before she could take another step, a cold, heavy hand gripped her wrist.

Sean stepped out from the shadow of a nearby storefront, his dark eyes fixed on Bill with murderous intensity. "Get your hands off her."

Laura gasped, her heart dropping. "Sean... what are you doing here?"

Bill stepped protectively in front of Laura. "Who the hell do you think you are? Let her go!"

Sean didn't even look at Bill. He yanked Laura closer, his voice laced with venom. "I'm her man, kid. And if you ever come near her again—"

"Stop it!" Laura interrupted, shoving against Sean's chest with all her might. "Leave him alone! I have nothing to do with him!"

Bill looked confused and desperate. "Laura... is this guy forcing you to go with him?"

"What happens in my life is none of your business!" Laura shouted, her patience snapping. "Just leave me alone, Bill!"

Seeing the distress in her eyes, Bill reluctantly stepped back. "O-Okay... if you say so."

Sean didn't waste a second. He gripped Laura's hand tighter, dragging her down the sidewalk as Kevin hurried along behind them. "Hey! Wait up for us!"

After pulling them into a secluded alleyway, Sean spun around to face Kevin, his expression dark. "Who the hell are you?"

Kevin raised his hands defensively, offering an unimpressed smirk. "My, my. You aren't quite what I pictured."

"And what the hell was your family telling you to picture?" Sean snarled.

"Honestly?" Kevin shrugged. "Based on Laura's bedtime stories, I expected a towering demon with long horns and a spiked tail."

Sean veins bulged in his temples. "A demon with horns?! Is that what those Northern bastards are teaching their kids?!"

"Well," Kevin pointed at Laura, "she's the one who called you a monster."

Sean whipped his head toward Laura, his voice cracking with hurt and fury. "Did you really tell them that?"

Laura met his gaze squarely, her chin held high. "Yes. I did. You may not have literal horns and a tail, but to me, you are a devil—the worst monster I've ever known."

Sean's fist clenched so hard his knuckles turned white. "In the old days, you swore I wasn't a bad person! You told me I had a good heart!"

"That was a lifetime ago!" Laura shot back. "Before you ruined everything! Everything my family said about you is the absolute truth—you're nothing but a violent, selfish monster!"

Sean closed his eyes, a heavy, pained breath escaping his lips. The raw fury in his face dissolved into something heartbreakingly hollow. He raised a shaking hand, gently brushing his fingertips against her cheek. "I could never... I could never hurt you, Laura. You know that." His voice dropped to a broken whisper. "I love you so much."

Laura stared at him, the sudden tenderness in his touch catching her off guard. But the memory of decades of isolation hardened her heart again. She slapped his hand away. "I will never love you."

"Hey, I'm still standing right here, you know," Kevin interrupted, breaking the tension.

Sean glared at Kevin, pulling Laura behind him. "I don't care who you are. You're a Northerner. Take her and get out of my sight before I change my mind."

Kevin grabbed Laura's hand, pulling her away. "Let's go."

As they walked briskly down the street, Kevin glanced down at her. "Why do you hate him so much? Honestly... he looks at you like you hung the stars. He seems completely devoted."

Laura's voice trembled as she held back tears. "I didn't hate him. Even after he kidnapped me all those years ago, a part of me couldn't hate him because he used to be my closest, sweetest friend. But that person is gone. He stole me away from my family, he kept me hidden from the world, and he threatened to kill anyone who even came near me."

She clutched her chest, her voice breaking. "He ruined my entire life just to trap me in his own selfish version of happiness. So no—I will never let him have what he wants. I will spend the rest of my life rejecting him."

Kevin looked at her with a strange, complex expression. "And what if... hypothetically... you actually did fall in love with him one day? Would you destroy your own happiness just out of spite?"

Laura stopped dead in her tracks. She turned and looked at Kevin with a long, unreadable stare, before turning her face away sharply. "Let's just keep walking."

Kevin dropped her hand, a shadow crossing his face. "Okay."

***

Later that evening...

Up in her bedroom, Laura stood out on the balcony, letting the cool night breeze wash over her face.

Down below, in the courtyard, movement caught her eye. She leaned over the railing and saw Kevin—dressed in dark, hooded clothes—stealing toward the perimeter wall. Moving with practiced stealth, he hoisted himself up and slipped over the top, clearly trying to sneak out without anyone noticing.

Determined to find out what he was up to, Laura quickly grabbed her coat, slipped out of her room, and crept out into the night to follow him.