📖 Chapter 4 – The Locked Door
The room they pushed Seo-jin into looked more like a luxury suite than a cell. Velvet curtains framed tall windows, and a chandelier hung above a bed that seemed far too soft for someone held against their will. Every detail screamed wealth, yet all she could feel was the tightening coil of dread in her stomach.
The door clicked shut behind her. Then came the metallic scrape of the lock sliding into place.
Seo-jin pressed her palms against the polished wood, testing it, but it didn't budge. She turned, scanning the space.
No guards inside. Just me. And him somewhere in this house.
She tried the windows next, yanking the curtains aside. Her heart leapt. They opened! But when she shoved them outward, cold air rushed in—only to reveal black iron bars welded across the frame. Her breath hitched. He planned this. Every detail.
Panic clawed up her throat, but she swallowed it down. She couldn't fall apart. Not yet.
She searched the room, pulling open drawers, looking behind furniture, anything to find something sharp, something heavy. Nothing. It was like the room had been staged to be perfect but useless—a golden prison with no weapons, no tools, not even a fragile vase to smash.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she paced. Think, Seo-jin. Think.
A sound stopped her cold. The soft creak of the door opening.
She spun around, breath catching, only to see him. Raven leaned casually against the doorway, as though he owned the air she breathed. His dark eyes swept over her, lingering too long.
"You've been busy," he said smoothly, his gaze flicking to the curtains she'd disturbed. "Did you really think I'd leave the windows unguarded?"
Seo-jin's jaw tightened. "I'll find a way out. No matter what cage you build."
Instead of anger, Raven's lips curved into that dangerous half-smile. He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him with a deliberate click."You're fire," he murmured, advancing with a predator's grace. "Most women tremble when I so much as look at them. But you—" He stopped just inches away, close enough that her pulse betrayed her with its frantic rhythm. "You burn. And I can't look away."
Seo-jin forced herself not to back down, even though every nerve screamed danger. "Then maybe you'll get burned."
For a moment, silence stretched. Then Raven chuckled low, the sound vibrating through the air like a dark melody. He reached into his coat and pulled out something small—a delicate silver key.
Seo-jin's breath hitched.
"This key," he said, holding it up between two fingers, "opens your door. You want freedom? Take it."
He dangled it in front of her, taunting, the glint of silver reflecting in her wide eyes.
Her body tensed. Is this a trick?
Seo-jin lunged. Her fingers brushed the key—only for Raven to snatch it back in the last second, his hand closing around her wrist instead.
In one swift movement, she was pulled against his chest. His breath warmed her ear as he whispered,"Not yet. Freedom comes with a price, little star."
Seo-jin's heart pounded so hard she thought it might break through her ribs. Her free hand curled into a fist, ready to strike him, but Raven only released her slowly, deliberately, letting the key vanish into his pocket.
"Prove yourself," he murmured, his voice a velvet blade. "Survive in my world… and maybe I'll let you walk out."
His eyes locked on hers, intense, unreadable. Then he turned and strode out, leaving her shaking, furious, and more determined than ever.
The lock clicked shut again.
Seo-jin stared at the door, fists clenched.If freedom came with a price, she would pay it. But on her terms.
And next time… she wouldn't miss that key.
To be continued…