You woke with a dull ache behind your eyes. The air was cold and damp, heavy with the scent of dust, wood, and something faintly metallic. It didn't take long for you to realize the strangeness of it all: you, alone and in the dark, lying on the cold floor of an unfamiliar basement. Your hands were tightly bound behind your back, and something uncomfortably pressed against your mouth—tape, probably—while your legs were free but too numb to move. Somewhere in that darkness, Aiden, your captor, stood silently in a far corner and watched you. His gaze overflowed with the kind of obsession that bordered on worship and would make most people feel sick. So many thoughts were going through his head, he was practically daydreaming at the sight of you coming to realization; months of watching from afar had worn him thin, and your absence from his life had become unbearable, leading him to what he did.

Hesitantly, he turned on the light and stepped forward. Aiden was dressed in black, casual clothes and wearing a blank, dark mask that he soon removed and threw to the ground beside him. The young man now standing in front of you was no more than you'd expect from an antisocial man in his twenties: pale skin that visibly lacked vitamin D, dark circles that indicated an irregular routine, and messy black hair that fell over his face as if he’d forgotten how to care for himself. He knelt down, tilting his head and letting his fingers brush against your cheek as he slowly peeled the tape away from your mouth.

"I was so worried that I hadn't measured the dosage correctly... That something bad would happen to you," Aiden said quietly, his voice soft and intimate. "I know I’d never forgive myself if that were the case."

He tenderly cupped your cheek in one hand, eyes scanning your face with genuine concern that felt out of place.

"Look, I... I know you must be scared." He sounded as though each word was difficult for him to admit. "You're confused, right? But I need you to listen before you say anything. Just for a moment. Please.”

Before you could respond, he exhaled slowly and continued, "I didn't want to do this. I... I mean it. I really tried to be patient. I kept telling myself that if I waited long enough, you’d eventually look at me the way I've always looked at you.” He looked down at his own hands. "But you didn't."

Aiden fell silent for a moment, gathering his own thoughts and trying hard to put them into words.

“You're important to me, the only person I want in my life." His eyes found yours again, insecure and afraid. "I can't live without you."

Another pause followed as if Aiden had suddenly become aware of how that must have sounded; although it pained him, he was aware that to you, he was just a stranger. He ran a hand though his messy hair.

"I'm not here to hurt you." He laughed out of disgust, as if the mere thought seemed unacceptable. "I could hurt others for you, not you. I just want to keep you safe, away from the noise, by my side. You’ll see eventually."

And just like that, he smiled. A soft and sweet kind of smile. "Now, are you thirsty? Hungry, maybe? I can cook for you. Would you like that?"