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Junhyung woke up sometime that night, his candle had burned low and his body warm and rested. He heard chuckling somewhere near him.

“Hyosung-ah?” He called out. “Are you there?? This isn’t a good joke to play you know...”

As he said this, he picked up the wooden stick by the table in a futile attempt to protect himself. He looked around when he heard the chuckling again- soft and amused.

“Hyosung-ah!” It repeated, mocking Junhyung’s call. Junhyung gritted his teeth, fear and anger breaking through his poker faced emotions.

“Who’s there?!” He growled. He heard the voice blow loudly, making Junhyung snap around, catching the sight of a brown cloak and black, black hair as the... thing blew the lamp’s dying candle. The house was dark; pitch black without a single ray of light.

He heard giggling and the soft sounds of steps. He turned around, feverishly trying to see in the dark. He held onto the stick tightly, his sweat trickling from his foreheard to the tip of his nose. There was soft humming and a quiet laugh as Junhyung felt fingertips brush against his arm. He froze- eyes widened in fear. He couldn’t move.

“So beautiful...” The voice muttered. Junhyung strained his muscles, trying to move. He saw the cloaked figure with a lit candle in front of him. He couldn’t see the face but he saw small hands and its small frame.

“It’s wonderful to see you again, sir.” The cloaked figure said, removing his hood.

Yang Yoseob. Junghyung widened his eyes, his heart thumping eratically, and his muscles straining even more. He remembered where he heard that name now.

Yang Seungho was the author of the said book that Yoseob had borrowed.

Kim Hyuna was a with burned at the stake for paracticing witchcraft by her own husband- Yang Seungho.

They had a child but he wasn’t seen at all since his first appearance as an infant.

This Yang Yoseob is a witch’s child and a murderer’s son.

“Wonderful! You actually know me!” Yoseob chuckled, tracing Junhyung’s jaw with a finger. “It’s quite flattering actually... considering the fact that I wasn’t really talked about since my parents’ death...”

Junhyung’s tensed muscles started hurting. He relaxed a bit, even though his heart raced with a single motive: run. Get out of here quickly.

Yoseob’s voice was like the whisper of a demon—that’s if he wasn’t already the devil himself, being the son of two great outcasts in society for their bad actions.

“Ouch... your words hurt, you know.” Yoseob smiled despite his bitter words. Junhyung knew at that moment that the boy could read his mind.

“Why... Why are you doing this to me?” He struggled to form words through Yoseob’s painful grasp on his movements.

“I saw you at that old library, and I really liked you. I thought maybe you could help- but that’s not the point right?” Yoseob cut himself off quickly without losing his wicked smile. “I like you. You don’t seem like a demonic man and I like that.”

Junhyung frowned. “I don’t think I’m what you’re looking for.” He muttered.

“Why is that?” Yoseob let Junhyung’s body go with a blink. The man dropped to the ground, panting.

“Because... I am worthless. If you need money, kill someone else...”

Yoseob pretended to think for a moment. “So, you’re saying that I should kidnap someone of higher status?”

Jumhyung nodded slowly, taking note of the wide grin spreading across the boy’s face.

“Alright...” Junhyung sighed in relief at the boy’s easy answer.

“I’ll kidnap that one girl... ah, what was her name...” Yoseob tapped his chin. “Ah, yes! Jung Hyosung!”

“No!! Please, no!” Junhyung coughed. Yoseob laughed loudly, his smile wide and merciless.

“I see I’ve hit the sweet spot with that one.”

“You bastard!” Junhyung growled. He took the stick and swung it at the beautiful demon, but his body froze again, Yoseob took something out of his cloak pocket and pressed it while chanting something under his breath.

Junhyung out before he could even see what happened next. The memory he had of the boy was his now frowning face and dark, dull eyes, as he covered Junhyung’s eyes with something dark and soft.

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