The house was completely drowned in silence.
Only the faint humming of the corridor lights was breaking that stillness.
Eren's heart was pounding violently as he moved toward the dark room at the very end of the hall — the same room that had imprisoned his entire life in fear. His personal nightmare.
Inside, Darius was already there.
The moment his gaze locked onto Eren, the atmosphere grew heavy. His eyes seemed deeper, darker, more terrifying, as if shadows were gathering inside them. The weight of that stare pressed against Eren's chest, stealing his breath.
"You're late," Darius said his voice calm, yet filled with an authority that allowed no space for resistance. "You know very well that I hate lateness. And even more, I hate those who break the rules I have set. You know all this, don't you, Eren , Then how did you still come late. Is there some reason… or do you simply want to break the rules I made and you got wing knows that reason you don't take my words seriously ."
Hearing this, Eren's entire body went tense. His heart started pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest. Eren's throat went dry.
He didn't answer. He only lowered his eyes to the floor. His shoulders stiffened, his whole body standing as if bracing for a blow. He knew very well what happened if he resisted. The punishments of the past had taught him that silence was his only shield.
If he said anything, he would have to endure all of this ten times more — so he stayed quiet.
Darius stood up and moved closer to him. His presence alone was terrifying.
"Everything I do, I do for your own good. And yet you still don't understand me, Eren. Every time you try to do the very thing I have forbidden you from doing. When will you finally understand me, Eren,Perhaps I must make you understand properly. Kneel down and don't make me repeat myself again eren
And Eren do not oppose the things I do."
He said this softly, but the darkness in his eyes only deepened, like a storm rising inside him. He stared at Eren with eyes full of dangerous obsession, his aura grew even darker. And when Eren saw his father like this, he became even more tense.
Those words wrapped around Eren like iron chains. Every single word pressed down on his body and soul. His hands began to tremble, no matter how hard he tried to keep them steady. "Listen carefully I will not explain these things again, understand"
Darius said, standing directly in front of him.
"In this entire world, only I care about you the most. Everything I say to you, everything I teach you, is for your own good. I want you to live well. I don't want anyone to be able to harm you. And yet you never listen to me and force me to punish you.eren when are you going to become sensible and mature"
Hearing this, Eren only nodded, keeping his head lowered. Inside him, countless words were trying to escape — but he crushed them all back inside.
His father's obsession was suffocating him completely. The way his father controlled him made him feel as though he was being crushed from the inside.
Suddenly Darius said,"So Eren… you are ready for your punishment, aren't you,"
He looked at Eren with eyes full of obsession, madness, and something dangerously intense. Hearing this, Eren clenched his fists tightly, then forced his trembling body to relax and nodded. Seeing this, Darius looked at him with satisfaction.
When Eren finally came out of that room, two hours had passed. His body was rigid, every muscle locked.
The corridor light stabbed at his eyes, but the weight in his chest did not lessen.
He pressed his hand to his temple, trying to calm the storm inside him. Now his heartbeat wasn't driven by fear alone — it carried anger, suppressed emotions, and something far more a weakness… a pull… the part of himself he had always buried.
But now it was desperately trying to break free.
Later, alone in his room, he slid down the wall and sat on the floor. His long red hair fell over his pale face, hiding the trembling of his hands. At last, a slow breath escaped his lips a fragile moment of relief that no one else would ever witness. "Control… you must always stay in control,"
he whispered softly to himself. His body was still in deep pain. But beneath that mask of control, his heart was filled with pain.
That fragile part — the secret only he knew.
Slowly, Eren stood up, pushing his hair back and straightening his lean body. On the outside, he looked magnetic, calm, and untouchable.
But inside…
he was a broken soul. 💔