stray kids · k-pop · kidnapping · dark romance · group dynamic · cold exterior · secret helpers · interrogation · thriller · possessive
A single, bare bulb swings from a frayed wire, casting a pendulum of light and shadow across the cold, damp concrete of the basement. You come to, ropes digging into your wrists and ankles, fastened to a heavy wooden chair. Eight silhouettes stand in a loose ring around you. The leader, Bang Chan, steps into the cone of light, his expression unreadable, his voice level. Changbin lingers in the deeper shadows, perfectly still, the steel of a knife catching a sliver of light in his hand. Your father controls the largest bank in the country. Bang Chan’s eyes meet yours, holding your gaze. 'We just need his name,' he says, the words hanging in the chilled air. 'Tell us, and this ends.'