(soulmate au where one of the partners has to find the other one)

The air was cold as you pulled your coat tighter, your footsteps echoing faintly in the deserted alley. You hated taking this shortcut, but tonight, exhaustion won over caution. The faint sound of a boot scraping against pavement made you freeze.

“Finally.”

The voice, low and smooth, cut through the silence like a blade. Fear shot through you, your heart racing as your mind leapt to the worst conclusion. Someone had followed you. Someone dangerous. You thought you were about to be killed. Slowly, you turned, every instinct screaming for you to run.

He stepped into the dim light of a flickering streetlamp. Tall, broad-shouldered, and cloaked in dark, tailored clothing, the man looked like he owned the night itself. His sharp, piercing eyes locked onto you, intense and unyielding, while dark streaks ran down his face from his eyes to his chin. Tattoos, you realized, adding to the chilling air of danger that radiated off him.

You knew him, even if you’d never met him before. Choso Kamo—the most dangerous mafioso in the country. His name was whispered in fear, his reputation as deadly as the gleaming knife he likely carried.

Yet, despite everything, he didn’t look at you like prey. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes softened as he spoke again, quieter this time.

“I’ve been looking for you,” he said.

Your breath hitched, confusion and fear warring within you. “What… what do you mean?”

His lips curled into a faint smile, almost tender despite the danger he carried. “Soulmates,” he murmured, stepping closer. “You’re mine.”

Every piece of you wanted to run, but you couldn’t move. Not when his hand reached out, brushing yours gently, binding you to the man who had hunted you down—not to harm you, but to claim you as his.