When Baekhyun and I returned home, Minho was waiting for us already. He left his office and caught us in the hallway before we had a chance to go upstairs. One look at his expression was enough to see he was in a bad mood, glancing pointedly at his wristwatch.

“Where were you? You’re late,” he scolded, mostly glaring at Baekhyun, who remained silent. He watched my uncle without a discernible reaction as if he hadn’t even heard him. The empty look in his blue eyes alarmed me—especially after I had witnessed what it was like when he was angry.

“Are you deaf, Zero-Four?” Minho grumbled, irritated at his lack of an answer.

“I’m listening,” Baekhyun said automatically. The mood was uncomfortable, and it didn’t take long for me to speak up.

“I wanted to have ice cream after university, so it got a little late. I’m sorry, Minho. It’s my fault,” I explained politely, hoping it would calm him down. And indeed, it did. His scowl disappeared and he sighed.

“I understand, Hyorin, but be more careful next time and don’t stay out so late,” he said, not quite meeting my gaze.

“What happened?” I asked since I knew something wasn’t right.

My uncle sighed once more, his eyes darkening. “Another letter arrived. It was addressed to you again.”

I shakily breathed in. “W-What?”

“It contained photos of you; photos that were taken today. Someone was tailing you, and your good-for-nothing bodyguard didn’t notice.” His scowl was smoldering and his voice threateningly low as he approached Baekhyun, who remained unaffected by his anger. He didn’t flinch. “I don’t like to repeat myself, Zero-Four, but I’m going to do it now. You know what happens when my niece gets hurt, do you?”

Something flickered through Baekhyun’s blue eyes, darkening them a fraction, but it was gone before I knew it. “Yes,” he answered.

“Good. Hyorin, there’s something I need to discuss with him. Would you leave us alone?”

A sense of ominous foreboding overcame me—I didn’t like the idea of leaving them alone. It was rare to see my uncle so angry; he had been acting differently recently and the change began to worry me. I saw less and less of the kind man who had taken me in years ago. He behaved like a stranger, his mood swings alarming me.

“Why can’t I stay?” I asked, which only served to annoy him further.

“Because this doesn’t concern you,” Minho countered aggressively.

I bit my lip, narrowing my eyes. “But he’s my b—"

“Go, it’s fine,” Baekhyun cut in, and again, his emotionless stare made it seem like he wasn’t truly alive—as if he’d rather die than exist a moment longer. I hated seeing this utterly hopeless expression, wondering why he felt this way. It bothered me to no end, but as long as he didn’t open up to me, there was nothing I could do. Nothing except being patient. Sighing inwardly, I nodded at him and went upstairs, leaving them behind.  

I entered my room and closed the door, putting down my bag containing my notes from today’s lectures at university. Since I had missed a week, I had some catching up to do and decided to get to work right away. My uncle had high expectations of me when it came to my grades and I didn’t want to disappoint him. I booted up my desktop computer and scrolled through a list of files before I opened one of them. Then, I mentally prepared myself for another long hour of studying.

I managed to stay focused and got most of my tasks done until something bizarre happened in my room. Without prior warning, the lamp on the ceiling got insanely bright, forcing me to shield my eyes with my arm. Seconds after it flared up, the light went out, shrouding my room in darkness. I sat in my chair with a straight back, looking around. Had someone messed with the electricity? But if this was the case, then why was my desktop computer working? If there had been a short circuit or a power outage, shouldn’t it have turned off? I got up and walked over to the window, peering outside, but I didn’t see anything suspicious other than the dark lamps in the garden. They usually stayed on all night. Our security staff at the property gate preferred it when the area was lit up since it was easier to keep an eye on the area this way.

“Ever since these damn threats started, everything is all ed up in this house,” I hissed. The faint glow of my computer screen was too weak to illuminate my bedroom, and I felt anything but safe in here. As far as I could tell, my bodyguard hadn’t returned from the meeting with my uncle. I would have heard him entering his room, but it had been dead silent in the past hour. What were they discussing for so long?

Furrowing my brow, I used the light switch, but no matter what I did, the lamp on the ceiling didn’t turn on. I feared the darkness almost as much as I feared the person sending the death threats—it was impossible to calm my fluttering heartbeat and quell the traitorous whispers of my anxiety. Why did this have to happen now? Why did none of the lamps on the property work? I had no explanation for it, and I didn’t dare to leave my room to investigate. Finding the breaker box somewhere in the basement was out of the question. As pathetic as it was, I would probably suffer a panic attack on the way—being alone in the darkness triggered an old, irrational fear deep within me.

Knowing no other solution, I grabbed my phone and called my uncle. It took a while for him to pick up, but when he did, a wave of relief washed over me. “Hyorin? Why are you calling?” he said.

“There’s something wrong with the lamps in the house! Haven’t you noticed? My computer still works, but the lamps don’t.”

He was silent for three long seconds. “I noticed, but it’s nothing to worry about. I will ask our household staff to resolve the issue tomorrow. Go to sleep soon, Hyorin. It’s for the best.”

“I… I will,” she whispered, curling a lock of her long black hair around her finger and fidgeting with it. “Goodnight, Minho.”

I woke up early after a short night, the warm rays of the sun shining on my face. It was Saturday, so I didn’t have any lectures today and could take my time. I chose to take a shower first and dried my hair before I put it in a high ponytail to keep it out of the way. A glance at the mirror revealed dark shadows under my eyes, but they were easily hidden with some concealer. I’d rather not let my uncle see them—if he figured out I had barely slept last night, he would worry about me.

When I was finished and left the bathroom, it was time for breakfast, so I stopped in front of Baekhyun’s door and knocked. I wanted him to try our cook’s amazing dishes; they were delicious and might cheer him up after the incident with my uncle yesterday. I waited for a while, but when I didn’t receive an answer, I knocked again.

“Baekhyun, are you in there?” Silence. Now I started to worry and entered his bedroom, finding it empty. The adjoining bathroom was empty as well. “That’s odd. Did he go downstairs already?”

I frowned as I took everything in. This was the first time I saw the new look of Baekhyun’s room, and it was quite underwhelming. The walls and curtains were white, not unlike a hospital room. Only the most basic furniture had been provided for him, like a bed, desk, chair, and wardrobe. The room lacked decoration and colors, only waiting for someone to breathe life into it and add a personal touch. How could anyone feel at home in a depressing place like this?  

“I’ll do something about it,” I mumbled, planning to decorate it for him as soon as I had an opportunity. This area was in dire need of colors—I wanted Baekhyun to feel comfortable in his own space.

Assuming he was in the dining room, I went downstairs to meet him and Minho for breakfast. When I entered, my uncle was sitting at the table, and the cook had prepared the dishes already, but Baekhyun was nowhere to be found.  

“Good morning, Hyorin,” Minho smiled, gesturing for me to take a seat.

“Good morning,” I replied, returning his smile and filling my cup with steaming hot tea before adding a spoon of sugar to it. “Have you asked someone to fix the lamps yet?”

Minho furrowed his brows and slowly shook his head. “Oh… Not yet, I forgot about it. I have a meeting with a business partner soon, so it will have to wait until later.”

Shouldn’t he be a bit more interested in having the issue fixed? I didn’t understand how anyone could forget about something so important. Again, I had the notion that Minho was keeping something from me.

“It’s fine, I’ll take care of it instead. Will I see you in the evening, then?” I asked, tilting my head.

“I don’t know if I will be back in time for dinner. In case I’m late, don’t wait for me when you’re hungry, okay?” he smiled faintly, his eyes holding a warm gleam. “By the way, how is university going?”

“Everything is fine, I’ve been catching up on the things I missed in the past week, and so far, it’s going well,” I explained, taking a sip of my tea.

“Good. You should always work hard, Hyorin. I want you to be successful in life.” A stern line appeared between his brows, making me sigh inwardly. I knew that look on his face all too well. He liked to remind me to prioritize my studies as if I was still a child. But with my 22 years, I was responsible enough