Abduction(1)

As soon as I regained consciousness, I realized I was lying in an unfamiliar place. I instinctively sensed that I should assess the situation before springing up in alarm, so I lay still with my eyes closed.

There were no sounds in my ears; all I could sense was the odd scent of the blanket wrapping around me. The pillow felt much lower than what I was used to.

Why was I lying here? As I tried to piece together my memories, I recalled walking down the street after leaving the hospital, and then at some point, I had lost consciousness. Now, I had awakened in this unfamiliar place, with no idea how much time had passed.

I remembered I had an important appointment today—a young single mother grappling with depression after losing her daughter. This was her second consultation, and during the first, I had formed a bond with her.

Engaging emotionally with a patient can be very risky, but since that day, I have stopped fearing anything. The first and last man I had loved, Theo—because of him.

Given that I heard no sounds around me, it seemed clear that I was alone. However, to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances, I pretended to stir in my sleep and turned onto my side. But as I moved, a loud noise broke the silence.

Creak.

My right wrist was chained. My eyes shot open instinctively, and I stared at the restraining chain. The silver chain glimmered ominously as if someone had specially crafted them just for me, shining with a cold brilliance. They looked heavier and more durable than anything you could buy in a store.

I was staring at the chains in shock when I noticed a man sitting in the corner of the room.

“!!!”

I nearly screamed but managed to hold it in. The room was dark, illuminated only by the dim red light from the lamp beside the bed where I was tied up, making it difficult to see the man’s face. He appeared menacing.

I realized I had been kidnapped on my way home from work, and the man who had taken me was silently waiting for me to regain consciousness. He made no sound, not even a breath.

Chills ran from my toes to the top of my head. I fought against the overwhelming urge to scream, narrowing my eyes to glare at the man. I remembered reading books about the psychology of kidnappers and victims but faced with the reality, I found myself in a panic, unable to apply any of that knowledge.

“You’re awake.”

His voice was slow and deep, carrying an unsettling quality. The man moved as if in slow motion, rising to his feet and approaching me deliberately. Fear consumed me completely. If I could see my expression, I would likely find a pale face, breathless and terrified.

‘Who are you? Where am I? Why did you kidnap me?’

I had so many questions swirling in my mind, but I bit my lip, determined not to fall into the typical victim pattern. Instead, I focused on keeping my senses sharp, ready to extract as much information from him as I could.

The man’s face slowly came into view. Perhaps it was because my eyes had adjusted to the darkness, or maybe it was the light from the lamp that illuminated his features. But once I saw him, I could no longer maintain my composure.

“Theo!”

I screamed, jumping up from the bed as if driven by fear. Theo simply watched me with an inscrutable expression, his eyes like those of a glassy-eyed observer, as if he were studying a stranger. I trembled under that gaze. I tried to stop shaking, but the shaking wouldn’t stop.

This man was not the Theo I once knew.

“Is that you, Noel?”

“…You’re surprisingly calm, just as Noel said.”

His voice was slow, dripping with a sense of ease. But beneath that gaze was a cruelty I couldn’t comprehend. The man scrutinized my face as if savoring every detail. A chilling sensation crept over me, making me tremble uncontrollably. I clenched my fists tightly, but the tension only highlighted my shaking. That tremor did not escape his watchful eyes.

Theo was a person with a split personality. Inside him lived two beings: Theo and Noel. Yet the man in front of me, wearing Theo’s face, was neither Theo nor Noel.

“Why…?”

I muttered in confusion, unable to comprehend the situation. As I spoke, the man moved closer. My body froze, unable to escape. His hand slowly rose to stroke my hair. Every movement was deliberate and unhurried, only deepening my sense of dread.

“To satisfy everyone,” he said, uttering words that made no sense to me.

I tried to calm myself. It was incredibly difficult to find that calm, but I knew I had to. Please, stop shaking. I felt as if every organ in my body was trembling in fear.

The person who had kidnapped me had once been someone I loved. Of course, Theo would never have been that kind of man, but the man before me now was not Theo. Yet he was also not Noel, someone I had encountered enough times to recognize.

I swallowed hard.

“What’s your name?”

At my question, the man’s eyes sparkled with intrigue. After staring at me for a while, he suddenly burst out laughing. His soft laughter grew louder until he stood in front of me, laughing out loud. It felt as if that booming laughter was consuming me, and I crumpled down on the bed, my legs giving out under me. The weight of his presence was truly overwhelming.

“You’re something. Amazing. More than I expected.”

As his laughter subsided, he wiped the tears from his eyes, still grinning widely.

“My name is Cane.”

Cane. My worst fears had become reality. Theo had developed a third personality. He was no longer just someone with a split personality; he was now multiple personalities. A sense of dread washed over me, escaping as a soft groan I couldn’t suppress.

“Cane. Nice to meet you.”

My mind was reeling, but my experience with countless patients helped me stay composed. My hands were still shaking, and a whirlwind of thoughts swirled in my head, but I knew I had to concentrate on understanding this man, Cane.

The more I remained calm, the more delighted he seemed, a smile permanently etched on his lips. Without responding to my question, he grabbed a chair from the corner and placed it directly in front of me. It was an ordinary wooden chair, but its luxurious leather padding and smoothly constructed backrest indicated it was well-made.

“What is the reason for my abduction?”

“Didn’t I just answer that?”

“…”

“To satisfy everyone.”

“Everyone means…”

“Theo, Noel, and me.”

My head was already throbbing. Theo was truly a unique case. Normally, people with split personalities take a long time to recognize each other, and some may go their entire lives without ever knowing that their other self exists, living in a state of confusion. But Theo was different. He had been aware of his other personality, Noel, since elementary school, and the same was true for Noel. They were good partners. Noel made up for Theo’s shortcomings and Theo made up for Noel’s.

Although only one chair was in their room, they had never fought to claim it. They maintained a perfect alliance. When I first consulted Theo, I couldn’t express how strange and frightening that realization was.

I studied Cane before me. His expression was as blank as a glassy eye, devoid of emotion, yet a smile curled on his lips, hinting at mischief. Cane was also aware of Theo and Noel’s existence, which suggested that Theo recognized Cane as well.

As I made this connection, anger surged within me. How could Theo allow this to happen? This was a clear crime! I suppressed the urge to scream and gritted my teeth instead.

“Cane…! Make sure to tell Theo that this is a criminal act. Theo, I can’t believe you would allow such madness. Let me go, right now!”

My insides were boiling, and my jaw was clenched. If Theo were here, I would have slapped him without hesitation, but the person sitting in front of me was Cane. With my understanding of who Cane was still unclear, I realized that any rash move could lead to unpredictable consequences.

Cane stared at me for a moment in silence before breaking into a sinister laugh again.

“You’re really in a foul mood.”

Then he stopped laughing and looked at me with a steady gaze.

“The owner of this body is me. If you want to talk to that unlucky guy, you’ll have to do it on his time, not mine.”

The man’s voice wasn’t loud; it was low and quiet. A wave of fear washed over me in an instant. This wasn’t the hospital with security patrolling, nor was it a bustling street filled with people. I was trapped in a room with a madman who had kidnapped me. Avoiding Cane’s chilling gaze, I looked down at my hands, which I had clenched tightly. They were trembling uncontrollably.

An oppressive silence enveloped us, and I could feel Cane’s eyes piercing through me.

“Well, just consider this a warning for next time.”

To my disbelief, Cane casually tossed those words my way and stood up from the chair. He slowly pushed it back to the corner where it had been. At that moment, the reality sank in—I was indeed being held captive by a strange and mad person.