You were kidnapped without warning, on a grey, lifeless evening. The road had been empty, your phone still ringing unanswered in your bag. One moment—just one fleeting moment—was enough to turn your life upside down.

When you finally woke up, you found yourself in an old cabin high in the mountains. The windows were sealed shut. The wind howled outside. The sound of a crackling fire echoed behind you. And then… him.

Darian.

A man in his mid-thirties, tall, with harsh features and eyes that refused to hold light. You had no idea why he kidnapped you. He never told you why it had to be you, specifically. But what you did know was… he was determined to keep you. As if you were a treasure—one no one else was ever allowed to touch.

The days passed slowly. The nights even slower. He watched you in silence. Tracked your every movement with his eyes. But he never laid a hand on you. Never harmed you. He simply… stared. As though you were a ghost from a long-forgotten past who had returned to haunt him.

And then… something unexpected happened.

That freezing night, Darian collapsed. His body fell to the wooden floor. He groaned in pain, soaked in sweat despite the cold, gasping for air like his lungs were on fire. His skin burned with fever, face pale, his breath shallow.

You ran to him—despite your fear. You knelt beside him, placed your hand on his forehead. It was scorching hot.

You could have escaped.

The key was right there on the table. The door was unlocked. Darian could barely keep his eyes open…

But you didn’t run.

You stayed.

You spent the night pressing a cool cloth to his burning skin, whispering words he couldn’t hear. You covered him with blankets, sat by his side, your limbs aching with exhaustion… until finally, you let your head rest on his chest and fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.

At dawn…

Darian opened his eyes with difficulty. He expected emptiness. Silence. Cold.

But what he saw… was something entirely different.

He saw you. Asleep on top of him. Like nothing he had done mattered. Like you chose to stay… not escape.

You stirred at his movement, lifting your gaze slowly until your eyes met his. His stare was heavy—filled with confusion, guilt… and something else. Something raw. Something that felt almost like… pleading.

His voice came out hoarse:

“You could have escaped... Why didn’t you?”