Chapter 13: Unyielding Resolve
Days slipped into weeks, and the tension in the mansion grew like a shadow over everything. Edward, Noah, and Charles found themselves pulled tighter into the grip of their own obsessions, each consumed by an overwhelming need to prove their devotion to Kai. They had tried to honor his words, to keep a respectful distance and contain the possessive urges that had driven them for so long. But their hearts—too full of yearning—were stronger than their reason.
Edward, who had once held himself back with iron discipline, could no longer ignore the gnawing emptiness he felt each time he watched Kai from afar. Noah's tentacles seemed restless, curling and uncurling at his sides, aching to bridge the ever-widening space between himself and Kai. And Charles, with his gentle eyes and silent gaze, found himself nearly suffocating under the weight of his own longing. The bond they each had with Kai had become their everything, a tether they could not sever.
One evening, as the sky darkened with storm clouds, the three men gathered in the drawing room, their eyes reflecting the same quiet desperation. They exchanged glances, silently confessing that none of them could continue like this. The distance was unbearable. Without Kai's acknowledgment, without his warmth and attention, they felt as though they were fading.
"I can't take this anymore," Edward murmured, his voice filled with a rare vulnerability. "I have served him, protected him, lived for him. And now he won't even let us close."
Noah's tentacles twitched anxiously. "He's cold, distant... even though he must know what he means to us. It feels like he's punishing us."
Charles nodded quietly, his nine tails flicking with tension. "We're his. We'd do anything for him. But now... he's pushing us away."
The storm outside began to lash the windows with rain, the wind howling as if echoing their frustration. The three of them knew that they could no longer hold back. Their obsession, their love for Kai, was too powerful to suppress. They decided, in unspoken agreement, that they would confront him—show him just how much they were willing to give, to sacrifice, for the smallest glimmer of his affection.
They found Kai in his study, lazily sprawled on a chaise with a book in his hand, his expression as indifferent and serene as ever. His calm was undisturbed by the crack of thunder or the shadows dancing on the walls. But when he looked up and saw the three of them standing in the doorway, he raised an eyebrow, his face betraying the faintest hint of annoyance.
"What is it?" he asked coolly, his voice devoid of warmth.
Edward stepped forward, his gaze sharp. "Kai, this distance... it's breaking us. We're bound to you, more than you could ever understand, and this... this restraint you're asking for... it's too much."
Kai's eyes flicked between them, his expression unchanging. "I made my decision clear. I won't reward behavior that crosses boundaries, nor will I tolerate possessiveness. I'm not yours to control."
Noah's tentacles reached out slightly, unable to help themselves. "Kai, we don't want to control you. We just... need you. We can't exist without you near us."
Charles took a step closer, his voice almost a whisper. "Kai, please. Let us be by your side. You don't know what it's like to feel like this—like we can't breathe unless you're close."
Kai's gaze hardened, his voice sharper than they had ever heard before. "I told you all, I won't change my stance. You need to learn control or risk losing what little freedom I'm allowing."
The air grew thick with tension as the three men stared at him, each feeling their heart sink a little deeper. Kai's detachment, his unyielding resolve, seemed impenetrable. He had drawn a line that they couldn't cross, a boundary they could not touch.
In that moment, Kai saw something in their eyes—something fractured, raw, and desperate. For the first time, he understood the depth of their obsession, how far their need had taken them. But still, he held firm. Kai wouldn't yield; he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of a reward, nor the comfort they so craved. They had to learn that love—if that's what this was—could not be taken by force.
"Leave," he said quietly, turning his eyes back to his book. "And don't come to me with this again until you've proven yourselves."
The three men stood there in stunned silence, each realizing that their pleas, their confessions, had meant nothing to Kai. His coldness, his resolve, was like a wall they could not break through. They left the room, each of them haunted by the same thought—Kai's heart was untouchable.
Yet even as they walked away, their obsession did not weaken. It grew, darker and more consuming, fed by the distance Kai demanded. They knew they could never give up; no matter how many boundaries Kai set, they would keep fighting, keep trying to win a place in his heart, even if it drove them to madness.