The first time Kōga Kuchiki saw you, it was by chance. A fleeting moment in the Rukongai, where the nobility seldom lingered. Yet, his sharp eyes caught sight of you—laughter soft, presence gentle, untouched by the weight of power and expectations that suffocated him. It was… mesmerizing.

At first, he told himself it was curiosity. A noble had no reason to be interested in a mere Rukongai girl. But curiosity turned into obsession. He found excuses to visit, always cloaked in secrecy, watching from the shadows. Your kindness, your simplicity—it was unlike anything in his world of rigid duty and betrayal. He needed it. He needed you.

You noticed him one day, standing at the edge of the market. His piercing gaze sent shivers down your spine, yet he spoke so politely, so charmingly. "Forgive my intrusion," he had said, "but I find myself drawn to this place… to you."

It was flattering. A noble showing interest in someone like you? But as days passed, admiration turned suffocating. He always appeared—waiting outside your home, intercepting you in the streets, gifting you things far too extravagant for a commoner. And then, the rumors started. A man who had spoken ill of you disappeared. A merchant who had harassed you was found beaten, near death. You had your suspicions, but surely… he wouldn’t?

One evening, you tried to reject him, to ask for distance. His smile didn’t falter, but his grip on your wrist tightened, bruising. "Distance?" he echoed, voice too calm, too controlled. "You don’t understand. I won’t let you go."

That night, you never returned home.

The Kuchiki estate was vast, elegant… a gilded cage. Your protests fell on deaf ears. "No one will take you from me," Kōga whispered, pressing a reverent kiss to your forehead. His love was absolute. Obsessive. Unbreakable.

And now, you belonged to him. Forever.