Abduction(5)

Noel’s words were frightening. He said he wouldn’t bind me with love, yet here I was, confined in this room. It felt like my will no longer mattered.

“That’s not normal.”

“Noel, do you know something?”

He whispered as if sharing a secret.

“Theo and I were never normal.”

I fell silent, overwhelmed by a sense of betrayal. Noel was instilling a different kind of fear from the one I had felt with Cane.

“We only pretended to be normal in front of you.”

“Don’t say that. Theo was more normal than anyone else. He was social and compliant with treatment. He could have been cured within ten years, just like you.”

“Cured.”

Noel repeated the word with a hint of sarcasm.

“Theo was never interested in treatment from the start. His only interest was in you, Yuel.”

I was somewhat aware of that. Theo had never felt uncomfortable with his dual personality; instead, he often leveraged Noel’s talents for business purposes. Still, I aimed to instill in him the ideal of complete complete self-integration.

I believed it was the way for both Theo and Noel to find happiness.

“Noel, you want Theo and me to be happy too, right? You deserve happiness as well.”

“…Right.”

“To do that, you can’t behave like this. Let’s forget this incident as if it had never happened. Please let me go. Let’s continue the treatment. I thought Theo was continuing his therapy with Dr Leoton.”

I moved closer to Noel, grabbing his hand, hoping my feelings would reach him.

The rough texture felt strange. Theo’s hands, calloused and strong, were large and rough.

I desperately wished that Noel would respond to me the way he used to. Whenever Theo was unresponsive to treatment, I would plead with Noel and he would always graciously grant my requests.

“…Ha, hahaha!”

Noel, who had been watching me closely, suddenly burst out laughing. He seemed genuinely amused. I was taken aback. What part of my words had made him laugh? Unlike Cane’s sinister smile, Noel’s laughter brought a fleeting sense of hope and bright energy. I almost wanted to laugh with him.

“You don’t understand me at all, do you, Yuel?”

Noel shook his head, trying to hold back his laughter as he spoke.

“I don’t want to be cured. Theo and I are separate. Theo loves you, and I… love you too. That’s why I’ve been unhappy.”

His smile was fresh and light, entirely at odds with the weight of his words. Noel’s statement hit me hard as if I’d been struck on the back of the head.

“Since when?”

After what felt like a long time, I finally managed to ask the question. Noel had never expressed such feelings before. As a doctor, I felt inadequate. He always acted like a sweet child in front of me. He was positive about joining with Theo and actively engaged in hypnosis and communication with him.

“I don’t want to be cured, and I love you and want to have s*x with you?”

Noel said the provocative words in a soft tone.

I was at a loss for words. He was so different from the Noel I had known that it left me dumbfounded.

“I feel good. It’s the first time I’ve been honest about my feelings in front of you.”

Noel looked genuinely happy, in stark contrast to how devastated I felt.

‘To satisfy everyone.’

Suddenly, I remembered what Cane had said the first day I was kidnapped, when I asked why I had been taken. Theo, Noel, and Cane had all taken me to satisfy themselves.

“You are crazy.”

“Yes. I’m crazy about you, Yuel.”

It was as if he had completely shed his innocent facade. Disturbingly, Noel had also clearly acted friendly on the first day of my captivity.

“Don’t look at me like that. My actions towards you weren’t a lie. I just… hid the fact that I love you.”

Noel sighed and took a step back. The moment his hand slipped from mine, I found myself staring blankly at my fingertips. It felt as if the last four years I had spent with Theo and Noel had suddenly become a lie.

Cane was right. I didn’t know anything about these two.

“Don’t be sad. Just eat something.”

Noel said, his voice sounding distant. He sighed softly again.

“Starting tomorrow, it’s going to be hard. Just make sure to eat.”

Noel urged again. I lifted my gaze to glare at him.

“What do you mean it’ll be hard starting tomorrow?”

Our eyes met and Noel’s expression hardened frighteningly. At the same time, he leaned in closer, catching me off guard. Since entering the room, he had shown minimal movement, maintaining a reserved demeanor, as if carefully measuring his actions. But that facade was about to crumble.

His big hand tugged at my wrist, and in that moment of stumbling, his lips captured mine. It happened in the blink of an eye.

Noel wasn’t rough at all. Despite the urgency of his movements, the way he kissed was so soft and careful that it felt almost surreal.

Our moist and soft lips brushed against each other and when he parted his lips to s*ck on my lower lip, he flicked his tongue to taste me. His hand gently caressed one side of my face, as if he was gently touching the most precious jewel in the world.

Even though it wasn’t an intense interaction, I couldn’t help but recall the s*x I had with Theo. Theo was always hot and intense. Our bodies fit together perfectly, and every time we made love, I would inevitably reach org*sm.

‘Why is this memory coming back…!’

The kiss from Noel felt completely different from Theo’s. Yet, instinctively, I found myself recalling those intimate moments.

Snapping back to reality, I pushed Noel away roughly. He yielded easily, but I could feel his solid chest pounding rapidly beneath my palm.

I quickly pulled my hand away, as if I had touched fire.

“Although it’s called training, it will be a time to satisfy desires.”

Noel whispered.

“Theo’s desires, my desires—Cane is the monster summoned by those desires. So, it’s going to be difficult.”

He pulled me close again, pressing his forehead against mine, almost as if in atonement, in deep reflection.

***

My appetite was completely gone.

The food Noel had brought was my usual favorite, but now I couldn’t even bring myself to take a bite. I was in deep doubt – doubt as a doctor, as an ex-lover, and as a human being.

I hadn’t noticed Noel’s state at all.

And I felt a deep sense of failure for not being able to predict Theo’s sinister thoughts at all.

It felt like a disqualification from my medical practice.

Above all, the agony of waiting in fear for the moment when Cane would enter was unbearable. Noel’s words were enough to send me into a state of terror.

‘A manifestation of desire.’ That’s how Noel referred to Cane.

It seemed that neither Theo nor Noel had any intention of letting me go. The thought of being toyed with by an alien personality filled me with dread.

My mind, which usually worked well during study sessions, now felt utterly useless. Noel’s shocking confession sent me into a panic. His sudden actions seemed to indicate that Theo wouldn’t behave as I expected.

‘So, are you just going to keep being scared like this?’

I forced a smile and picked up my spoon, trying to eat some soup. But after a few bites, I gave up. My stomach was churning and I felt like I was going to throw up. Without a bathroom, vomiting in this situation could clog the sink. If the sink got blocked, it would be a nightmare.

I pushed the tray of food aside and opened the pink package that Noel had left. Inside were a toothbrush, toothpaste, a small bar of soap, and some skin lotion.

I felt uneasy about not having brushed my teeth for an entire day. Fear aside, I wanted to retain my humanity by at least washing up. I approached the sink and began to brush my teeth, scrubbing vigorously as if trying to wash away all the bad memories.

As I brushed, I continued to sort through my thoughts.

‘Noel loves me. In a way, he seems to have agreed to this kidnapping.’

My plan to persuade Noel to let me see Theo had failed. But I had no choice. I had to keep observing and reassuring Cane while trying to persuade Noel. Being in a state of confusion wouldn’t solve anything.

I washed my face with soap and applied lotion afterward. The soap had a faint rose scent, similar to the perfume I used. That little detail sent a slight shiver down my spine. Theo liked my scent; after we had s*x, he would often bury his nose in my neck, inhaling my fragrance for a long time.

I wanted to wash my hair too, but I held back. I didn’t want to attempt that in the small sink, and I worried it might clog up.

I looked into the small round mirror above the sink and assessed my appearance. I usually wore only light makeup, so even after a rough wash, my bare face was visible.

I looked paler than usual. In the mirror, I could see a small girl trying hard to remain calm and composed.

I started searching the room again for any hidden cameras. If there were cameras installed, Theo would be watching my every move, but I tried not to let that bother me. I couldn’t remove any cameras even if I found them; I just wanted to know where they might be located for some peace of mind.

Besides, I had no desire to let Theo see me using the chamber pot.