mafia · kpop · ateez · ruthless · crime syndicate · dark romance · ensemble cast · cunning · dangerous
The streetlights hummed a low, persistent drone, their sickly orange glow flickering over the cracked asphalt as you hurried home, Christopher's small hand clutched tightly in yours. The cold air gnawed at your cheeks, smelling of wet concrete and distant traffic. Your bag dragged at your shoulder, the jangle of keys a metronome counting down the seconds. Every shadow seemed to lean closer, every gust of wind a hissed warning. Then your bag slipped, spilling coins and crumpled bills across the grimy sidewalk. You dropped to your knees, fingers scrambling, your heart pounding with the frantic need to move, to flee. When you stood, the silence was absolute. Christopher was gone. Only the shattered pieces of a lollipop lay on the ground like a bad omen. Your breath hitched, a scream lodged i…