Abduction (3)

For a moment, Noel’s smile disappeared. I couldn’t understand what was happening. It felt as if Noel was implying I was the villain here. I had left? It was Theo who had brought up the breakup first.

Noel was so emotional and gentle that it seemed he was placing the blame for the breakup on me. It was likely that Theo had suffered greatly. The fight we had was rooted in a minor disagreement; our love hadn’t faded at all.

However, that didn’t justify this abduction in any way.

“You understand how irrational this is, right, Noel?”

“Why wouldn’t I? But Yuel, there’s one thing you seem to forget. ‘Irrationality’—turning the irrational into the rational is Theo’s specialty.”

Noel smiled again as if finding this amusing. I was at a loss for words.

If Theo was indeed planning something and was in control, then I was completely at his mercy.

“I want to talk to Theo.”

“No. Theo wants Cane to train you well.”

“Train me?”

I felt my anger boiling over, ready to explode.

I shouted once more.

“Train me?! This is insane!”

Noel looked surprised. When I glared at him and stood up suddenly, he slowly stood up too. He tried to gently hug me, but I harshly pushed his hand away.

“Okay, I misspoke. That was Cane’s word. Theo just thought of Cane as a way to keep you in check. Theo is good at achieving things through tools when he can’t do them himself. Cane is a useful tool for Theo.”

“Noel, this isn’t right. Let me go. No one should invade your time, right? It’s your time now. Please, let me go.”

As I spoke urgently, Noel smiled sadly.

“Yuel… I can’t do anything.”

Noel’s hand gently caressed my cheek before it fell away. His large, long fingers felt slightly rough, and I caught a whiff of a soft, subtle men’s fragrance.

“Oh! You must be really hungry.”

As if remembering suddenly, Noel pulled a bowl closer from beside the lamp. It was a bowl of porridge and the rich aroma wafted through the air, but I felt too drained to react, collapsing back onto the bed.

“I’m sorry, Yuel. I can’t be of any help.”

Feeling a mix of frustration and helplessness, I watched Noel’s well-defined back as he exited the room. Could I run and tackle him to make my escape? His physique—standing over 180 centimeters tall with a lean, muscular build from years of consistent training—was intimidating.

His meticulous and safety-conscious nature meant he was skilled in various martial arts. While that was more Theo’s area of expertise, Noel wasn’t as adept at physical confrontation. Still, I couldn’t assume I could easily overpower him.

But even if I managed to subdue Noel, there was the problem of the heavy chains around my wrists. Would he have the key to open this?

As my mind spiraled through these thoughts, I realized Noel had fully exited the room.

After Noel left, I lay still on the bed and slowly organized my thoughts. According to Noel, Theo didn’t seem to have any intention of meeting me right away. After all this, he left me to a man named Cane, whose intentions were entirely unknown!

‘To train me?’ Anger surged within me again.

This ridiculous kidnapping! Whether Cane suggested this plan first or Theo planned it, it was clear that the two were working together.

I pulled the bowl of porridge closer. I took spoonfuls, determined to find out more about Cane. The only things I’d learned from our first encounter were that he and Theo didn’t get along, that he exuded an unsettling vibe, and that his name was Cane. Those were the only three pieces of information I had.

I hadn’t gathered these intentionally; it was more like stumbling into a lucky discovery. I needed to understand him better to find a way out of this bizarre situation. After finishing the porridge, I put the bowl back in its place. I wanted to brush my teeth, but…

In one corner of the room was a sink, but there was no toothpaste or toothbrush in sight.

Where could the bathroom be? I desperately hoped that the small metal door, aside from the main entrance, led to it. I tried to get up and head to the bathroom, but my weary brain seemed to want rest, and I began to doze off.

How long had I slept? My restless mind hadn’t conjured any dreams. As I awoke, still groggy, I noticed someone sitting in the darkness, watching me. It was incredibly unsettling, but I took a deep breath and calmly sat up in bed.

“Cane.”

Even as I called out, the man simply continued to stare at me. Then he slowly began to speak.

“Yuel Estin. 33 years old. A renowned psychiatrist even internationally, you’ve been called a genius since childhood. You moved to Arkel and opened a big hospital, where you met a patient named Theo. According to Theo, you’re incredibly charming. Although you had a minor quarrel and were briefly apart, you both knew you would reunite someday.”

I couldn’t deny it. I had been waiting for Theo. But this wasn’t how I envisioned our reunion.

“Unfortunately for you, Theo learned something from that fight: you are someone he cannot fully connect with. He couldn’t accept that. Both Noel and I are tied to him, whether we like it or not. It’s not a pleasant feeling, but the one he wants to merge with is you. That’s why he hired me. To be hired, I had to eliminate the other five personalities before him. I was the last survivor. I’m grateful that he chose me.”

Cane slowly got up and moved closer. I carefully stored the flood of information in my mind. There was something almost chatty about Cane. Some of what he said made sense, while others confused me.

“Are you trying to figure me out with that smart head of yours? Listen, you might think you know Theo and Noel well, but what you know is just a drop in the bucket.”

“I think so too, Cane.”

I addressed him gently, as I would with any other patient.

“You have a pretty way of responding.”

Cane smiled slightly as he sat down next to me, causing the bed to shift under his weight.

“Then answer me this, Doctor. What’s the most effective way to completely possess someone?”

I thought about the answer, but nothing came to mind.

“I believe it’s pleasure and fear. Just regular pleasure won’t cut it; it has to be pleasure taken to the extreme. And then there’s addiction, training, repetition. These are perfect tools for completely possessing someone. Coincidentally, I’m an expert in that area.”

“How did you become an expert?”

“It’s a simple story. I participated in a war where various experiments on humans were conducted. It was fascinating and suited my abilities. There are many elements—intimidation, persuasion, love—but the quickest way is through pleasure. Hunger, s*xual desire, the need for sleep, drugs, gambling, addiction. Tying down instinct. I can’t wait to see what you’ll show me, Doctor. It’ll be beautiful.”

A chill ran down my spine, but I forced a smile. Cane’s grin as he looked at me felt incredibly cruel. Yet, it was Theo’s face. That very fact made me oddly numb to fear.

“Cane. How old are you, then?”

Though I was aiming to gather information, my interest in him seemed to amuse Cane, who laughed while stroking his chin.

“Me? I just turned forty.”

I was surprised; it was older than I expected. Most multiple personality disorder patients have quite specific self-profiles. Noel was in his early twenties.

Theo’s actual age was 34—one year older than me.

“Fools think that just because they occupy the body, it truly belongs to them. I know this body is Theo’s. But now that I have a third of it, it’s mine too. I quite like it—especially the fiancée that comes with it.”

Cane clenched his fist and smiled at me. Even though he had the same face as Noel, his smile was completely different.

“Now, back to the point. I’m going to train you. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, I’ll use some excellent tools for that. I won’t use drugs; Theo’s too uptight for that. Food cravings are boring. The best is definitely… s*xual desire.”

I felt angry at the word train, but I forced myself to look down at my hands. My long, pale fingers felt almost foreign. No, the entire situation felt surreal.

“Cane, you can’t train a person. You shouldn’t even try.”

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself as I met Cane’s cold gaze.

“Are you saying that Theo allowed you to have s*xual relations with me? You’re not Theo; how could he allow that when he loves me?”

“Doctor, that’s why you know so little about us.”

Cane paused, rubbing his chin as if thinking.

“You recognize us three as the same person to some extent, don’t you? That’s why you seem so calm.”

I felt caught off guard but managed to hide my reaction. It was a dilemma I faced every time I treated Theo. I loved him, which made Noel’s presence feel familiar—almost exhilarating. That was the root of our conflicts.

“Theo has decided to accept all of this about you. What else can he do? In reality, we share more than you think,” Cane said.

“What do you mean by that?”

Cane fell silent again. Though fear bubbled within me, I was also intrigued.

“I think I’ve said too much. You can handle your business right here since there’s no bathroom.”