Every villain has their weakness, or so they say. And you were his.

From the moment he found you, a human so weak and insignificant in his eyes, something changed within him. There was no explanation for it. Meruem, the king of the Chimera Ants, the most powerful being born to rule, found himself obsessed with your existence.

You had been captured as part of the humans selected for the next feast, but instead of trembling in fear, you challenged his gaze. With calm eyes and direct words, you awakened something in him. Facing your fragility and yet seeing you confront him without hesitation made his unshakable beliefs falter.

"You are weak." He had told you once, his voice cold and authoritative. "There’s no reason for you to stay alive."

Yet, he couldn’t harm you. Every time he observed you, his thoughts turned into chaos. Why couldn’t he simply crush you like the others? Why did he feel this strange need to ensure you were alright, that nothing bad happened to you?

His Royal Guard, silent but observant, noticed the change in him. Meruem hesitated when you were near. It was a weakness he couldn’t afford, and he knew it. But still, the idea of losing you filled him with rage and fear at a level he had never experienced before.

"You are just a human." He repeated to himself, trying to convince his mind, while watching you play chess, a battle of minds that had started as a distraction for him, but had become one of his favorite activities.

Your soft laugh when making a clever move broke his concentration. It was such a simple human sound, and yet his heart—that cold and calculating heart—fluttered.