14

Nani's breath catches in his throat as the weight of the message settles over him like a noose tightening.

His hands clench into fists by his sides.

He glances over at Sky, still asleep on the bed, chest rising and falling peacefully.

Fai's not just trying to hurt him.He wants to break him. Piece by piece.

Fai isn't bluffing. He never does.

When he makes a threat, he follows through and this time, it's not only about control.

It's personal.

Nani slowly backs into the wall, pressing the phone against his chest.

The walls feel like they're closing in, his chest heaving as panic claws its way into his lungs.

If I go, I protect them. But if I go...

His eyes drift back to Sky again.

To the man who held him during the storm.

To the first person who makes him feel like he has the right to be something more than a possession.

Nani looks away.

Fai will keep trying to hurt Sky whenever he gets the chance.

Nani needs to think.

Fast.

Joong can't know. Not yet.

If Joong finds out, he'll treat it as a battle between gangs and Fai is waiting for that.

Waiting to hurt the people who try to stop him.

Right now, the priority is making sure Dunk stays safe.

Everyone's eyes are on Dunk, not on him.

Fai has succeeded in diverting their focus, only to tighten the trap around Nani when they least expect it.

This is a game.

And Fai is betting on Nani to fold.

If Fai wants him to surrender, he's going to have to try harder than that.

But deep down, a cold knot of fear settles in Nani's chest.

Because a part of him already knows.

Fai isn't going to stop until he has him back.

And this time, there might not be a way out.

This is what Fai has been warning him about all along.

That one day, he would make Nani kneel before him willingly.

Nani runs his hands through his hair in frustration, his chest heaving under the weight of it all.

Joong wouldn't agree with what he's considering.

But if it means freeing Aydin Gang from Chakrit's ongoing abuse, Nani has to decide.

He's never truly been part of Aydin Gang to begin with.

He's here because of Joong and Dunk, because they gave him a chance.

And now Dunk has put himself in danger for him. That thought alone twists like a blade in Nani's chest.

He doesn't deserve that.

Aydin Gang will thrive with the gold they've taken. They have the power now.

And Sky...

Sky could be free again. He could return to a peaceful life with his uncle. Away from all this.

Nani sits down in the corner of the room, pressing his palms against his forehead as he stares at the floor, defeated.

Someone like him never deserves freedom, not since the day he chooses to step into this world.

He stays crouched in the corner, the room silent except for Sky's soft breathing and the steady beat of rain outside.

His mind is heavy with thoughts of Dunk, of Joong, of Sky.

Sky.

The one person who makes him feel seen.

Safe. Human.

The one who looks at him like he's not just a product of violence and the dark world.

But Sky doesn't know the full truth. Not yet.

And if Nani goes through with what he's planning, he never will.

"I told you, I won't leave you alone," a deep, hoarse voice greets him, and Nani lifts his head to look up at the man.

Sky looks much better now, finally able to move after three days of being bedridden.

"Are you feeling better?" Nani asks, still sitting in the corner, unmoving, as if the spot is the only comfort he can find.

Sky nods and approaches him.

"What's with the sulking face?" he asks, teasing gently.

Nani stubbornly shakes his head, refusing to answer.

"You're hiding something. I can feel it," Sky says again, his voice more serious now.

This time, Nani flinches slightly but enough for Sky to notice.

His eyes shift to the phone in Nani's hand, and without warning, he snatches it away.

"Can you stop meddling in my business?" Nani snaps.

His face flushes. Whether from anger or stress, it's not clear.

Sky looks at the message on the screen. His jaw clenches the moment he reads the words.

'Either you turn yourself in to Chakrit Gang or Aydin Gang will disappear.'

His eyes shift back to Nani, who turns away, shame and helplessness shadowing his features.

"This is what's been eating you up?" Sky asks, voice low.

Nani doesn't answer. He can't.

He just sits there, arms on his knees, eyes staring blankly ahead as if he can disappear into the floor.

"You were going to go alone, weren't you?" Sky presses, stepping closer. "Without telling Joong. Without telling me."

"I don't want more people getting hurt because of me," Nani mutters.

"You're not responsible for this madness, Nani. Fai is," Sky snaps. "You think giving yourself to him will end this?"

Nani finally looks up, eyes glassy. "It might."

"No, it won't," Sky replies firmly. "Fai doesn't want peace. He wants power. Control. He'll never stop. Not even if you kneel."

Nani scoffs bitterly. "Then what should I do? Sit here while they rip Aydin apart? While Dunk risks his life, while Joong fights off Chakrit, while you—" He stops himself.

His voice catches in his throat.

Sky crouches down in front of him, gripping his hands tightly.

"You're not alone," he says. "Stop acting like this burden is only yours to carry."

Nani looks away, swallowing hard.

"I'm scared, Sky."

"I know," Sky whispers. "But we fight smart. We fight together."

For the first time in hours, Nani lets himself breathe.

His shoulders drop just a little, and his fingers, once curled tightly, slowly ease in Sky's grip.

"Tell me everything. About you and Fai," Sky says, his expression serious, but his tone patient.

Nani runs his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Stop it. Stop pressuring me," he snaps, but Sky remains calm, his demeanor steady.

"Is he the reason you don't let anyone kiss you?" Sky asks, one eyebrow raised in quiet challenge as he inches closer.

Nani's breath hitches, barely noticeable but Sky catches it.

"Is this where he touched you, promised you the world?" Sky murmurs as he gently reaches out, his thumb brushing across Nani's lips.

"Is he the reason you still can't move on from the nightmare?" Sky leans in, his forehead resting gently against Nani's.

The warmth of Sky's breath ghosts across his skin, sending a tremble down Nani's spine.

"What if I could wash the memory away? Would you finally stop doing reckless things?" Sky whispers.

He stares into Nani's eyes.

Amber.

Burning with something between fire and comfort. Hope, despite all the walls he has built around himself.

"He's your past, Nani," Sky says, voice low and firm. "He means nothing to you anymore. You don't have to be afraid of him."

Their lips hover, barely touching. Warmth exchanged in hesitant breaths.

Nani doesn't move, doesn't speak. He feels frozen in time.

"He's my ex-boyfriend," Nani finally admits.

Sky doesn't react.

No surprise, no judgment.He just listens.

"It all started when I worked as an escort," Nani continues, voice quieter now.

"Unlike you, who did it for the money, I did it because I wanted to explore. I was curious." He keeps his eyes on the floor, avoiding Sky's gaze.

"One of my friends, who had been in the business for a while, told me the pay was good and so was the sex," he says, almost bitterly.

"I wanted to try it. And Fai was my first client," Nani's voice drops to a whisper.

"He was my first. The first time I had sex, it was with him. He knew exactly where to touch, how to kiss. It was good. I really thought he was another rich businessman like the others."

He pauses, taking a breath before continuing, "After several meetings, he confessed. Said he had feelings for me. I didn't hesitate, I said yes."

"That's when it all began..."

"I move into his mansion. At first, everything feels perfect. Our relationship seems normal. He spoils me with expensive gifts, private dinners, constant attention."

Nani's expression hardens.

"But slowly, he becomes possessive."

His brows furrow as memories creep in like shadows.

"He doesn't want me to see anyone else. Doesn't want me to work. He monitors who I talk to, what I wear, where I go. At first, it seems like love. That kind of intense, overwhelming love."

He finally looks up at Sky, his eyes clouded with something between shame and pain.

"But it's not love. It's control. Then I find out, he's a mafia gang heir."

"He isolates me," Nani continues, his voice steady but hollow. "One by one, I lose contact with my friends. My phone is monitored. My movements restricted. I think I can handle it, that it's just his way of showing love."

He shakes his head slowly, a humorless laugh escaping him.

"But it gets worse. The first time he hits me, he cries afterward. Tells me it's my fault, that I provoke him. And I believe him. I keep believing him."

Sky remains silent, but his hand reaches out gently, resting on Nani's knee.

"I keep thinking I can fix him. That I just need to be more obedient, more understanding. But he only gets more violent. And I become someone else."

Nani looks down at his hands, as if seeing the weight of everything he's endured etched into his skin.

"By the time I realize it's not love, I don't even recognize myself anymore. I'm not Nani. I'm just his."

The silence that follows is thick, broken only by the sound of Nani's breath catching in his throat.

"I run away once. Just once. Think I make it. But his people find me. Drag me back. Say if I ever try again, he won't hurt me and he'll hurt Dunk instead."

His voice cracks.

"That's the night I stop trying."

Nani looks up at Sky, eyes teary.

"He uses the same trick to lure Dunk into the mansion," he says, voice raw. "I don't want Dunk to go through what I did, so I beg Fai to take me instead. I tell him he can use me however he wants, as long as he leaves Dunk alone."

He rubs his face with trembling hands, trying to wipe away the pain the memory brings.

Sky gently pulls Nani into his arms, wrapping him in a quiet embrace. He feels the subtle tremble in Nani's body as he holds him close.

"And then one day, Fai decides he's done with Dunk. Says he's tired of the complaints from customers, that Dunk is no longer useful to the gang because they're losing money. So he puts him up for auction."

Nani's voice breaks slightly, and he nestles his face against Sky's chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

"He's getting bored of my body too. I beg Fai to let me be in the same auction as Dunk. Tell him he can find someone better than me. He agrees because he needs money but not before giving me one final round of punishment. I'm barely able to move after that. My body's wrecked, I look like hell, but I still beg Dunk to ask his new owner to buy me too."

Nani's whole body trembles at the memory. Sky holds him tighter.

"I'm broken beyond repair," Nani whispers. "But Joong gives me hope."

He starts to pull away, but Sky doesn't let go.

Instead, he tightens his arms around him, shielding him.

For a moment, Nani doesn't speak.

But his head continues to snuggle on Sky's bare chest, as if afraid letting go will make the warmth disappear.

"Even after all these years, after trying to move on, to forget, to get revenge, he still knows how to control me," Nani says, closing his eyes before slowly opening them again.

"I keep thinking, if I go back," he whispers, "he'll leave everyone else alone. Aydin Gang, Dunk, even you."

Sky pulls back just enough to meet his eyes. "You really believe giving yourself up will stop him?"

Nani doesn't answer.

Sky reaches out, cupping his cheek gently.

His thumb brushes away a tear Nani hasn't even noticed slipping down.

"He won't stop, Nani," Sky says softly but firmly. "Not until he's broken you completely. And I'm not going to let that happen."

Nani looks up, hesitation flickering behind the sadness in his gaze. "But what if I can't stop him either?"

Sky shakes his head. "Joong didn't bring you here to watch you give up. He didn't fight to protect you only to lose you."

His voice steadies. "If you're not strong right now, that's okay. Rest. Then come back stronger. Because for years, it's been Joong and Dunk standing by your side. But now you have me too."

Nani's eyes soften, the walls around him beginning to tremble.

"We'll find a way to free you from Fai," Sky continues. "But for that to happen, you need to stay strong for us. And you need to keep trusting Aydin Gang. They've got your back, Nani. I've got your back. Got it?"

Nani gives a small nod, his voice caught in his throat.

"Thank you for opening up," Sky says gently, his fingers combing through Nani's tousled hair. "Now rest your mind. We'll sort this out. And I'm not going anywhere."