Taemin woke up. 

He regained consciousness but couldn’t see anything around him. He blinked, but he could only see darkness. He closed his eyes and focused on his other senses. 

A piece of cloth. Tied. Around his eyes. 

The sound of a car. Car doors opening. People shuffling. 

He was blindfolded. On a car. Now getting off. 

He was pushed by someone that held his arms, presumably a guard. 

It was nighttime. He couldn’t see, but he heard the sound of an owl, the sound of wolves howling, and the cold wind wheezing past him. It was supposed to be summer, but without the sun, warmth had vanished and he shivered slightly. 

He knew he was kidnapped by father Son. He knew because Naeun warned him many times that he will be in danger. The only thing he worried about was Naeun. He has always been putting Naeun’s safety first than his own. He hoped he can find ways to save her and take her away from her father. As he was pushed to walk, he heard murmurs and shuffling in front of him. The voices became louder as he got closer. He heard her voice. 

Before he could go closer to her, he felt a push on his back, forcing him on his knees, kneeling on the ground. He tried to fight off the grasp on his arms and shoulders. She was near. I could reach her. I need to get out of this. He thought. As he forcefully shook himself off the guard’s grip, his blindfold slipped down his face. The guards desperately grasped his arms, but he was determined to fight off their control. He blinked, regained his sight and saw Naeun being pulled by two guards, into the doors of a dark looming mansion. Naeun shouted and tried to strangle free from the guards’ grip. 

“Let me go!” She shouted, as the guards pushed her into the mansion. 

“NO! I’m not going in!!” She screamed. 

The guards loosened the grip on her as the mansion doors closed. 

He got himself standing upright and pulled free from the guards’ control. 

He sprinted forward and shouted. “NAEUN!”

In a split second, Naeun turned back and saw Taemin running towards her. She couldn’t help but to run towards him with a mix of worry, regret and despair. Before the doors could meet each other, she pushed the doors open and sprinted out of the mansion towards Taemin. 

“TAEMIN!” She shouted. 

Both of them stretched out their arms to each other as they sprinted closer, and closer, to each other. 

Their fingertips were on the verge of touching each other. He could almost touch her, almost protect her, almost love her. 

Until the guards pulled them away. 

The guards pulled him back more forcefully than before. They locked his arms and shoulders and pushed him down, with his chest on the ground. He tried to elbow the guards and resist their control, but they were stronger. They pressed him on the ground and he couldn’t move. 

“Let me go!” He shouted, while the guards tied his hands behind his back with a rough rope. 

The guards caught Naeun as well. They didn’t push her down to the floor but pulled her back and locked her arms. She tried to fight free from the guards control, but they grasped her tightly.

She didn’t know Taemin was caught as well. When she woke up in the car, she was worried for Taemin, but she thought he would be fine. She was wrong. 

Taemin will suffer, he will be judged and punished by her father. He will suffer because of her. 

Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw Taemin being pushed to the ground, with his hands tied back. He looked up to her and smiled forcefully. “Naeun-ah, I’ll think of something, don’t worry!” 

He was suffering, but he still reassured her. 

Naeun shook her head and cried. “No, it won’t work now. We’ll be separated.”

She barely knew what was happening until the guards started pulling her into the mansion. Again. 

It was then where she realised that this will be the last time that she can see him for the rest of her life.

Desperately, she confessed her feelings to him, and resisted against the guards’ pull. 

“Taemin, Francesco.” She said with a hoarse voice, as she stared into his brown orbs. 

“I’m very glad to know you as my friend, my love and my soulmate. You have been wonderful to me for the past few months. From the moment I saw you, till we got to know each other, fall in love with each other… I’m thankful that you stayed beside me, helping me, comforting me and protecting me. Our times together are always precious and memorable. You brought me to different places and you have shared my worries. I’ve never found someone like you.” 

The guar