~•|chapter 14|•~

Chapter 13: Into Madness

Days passed, bleeding into nights without end, and in that quiet, echoing emptiness, Edward, Noah, and Charles began to unravel. The cold distance Kai demanded, his unyielding rejection, clawed at their minds and chipped away at their restraint. They had tried to respect his wishes, had tried to suppress the aching needs he stirred within them, but it was as if Kai's indifference only sharpened their desire.

Edward, once the most disciplined of the three, found himself lying awake at night, his mind consumed by thoughts of Kai. Memories of his young lord's distant, unreadable gaze and that maddeningly calm voice replayed like a haunting melody in his mind. When he closed his eyes, he could almost see Kai there—just out of reach, taunting him with his serenity. Edward's hands, trained to steady a blade with lethal precision, now trembled with the craving to touch, to make Kai see how deeply he was wanted.

Noah's struggle was more visceral. His tentacles, usually kept hidden beneath his skin, now surfaced uncontrollably, a reflection of his untamed longing. They pulsed with a life of their own, stretching out in the air as though they might somehow find Kai, wrap around him, pull him close. The restraint he had once managed slipped further with each passing day. At times, he felt as if he were becoming an animal—a creature ruled by a need he couldn't comprehend, unable to find peace without Kai's presence.

Charles, too, was losing his grip. His nine tails, once soft and graceful, now twitched and flared in restless agitation. He wandered the halls at all hours, seeking comfort in every corner of the mansion but finding none. Every shadow seemed to carry Kai's silhouette; every echo held his voice. Even in sleep, Charles found no reprieve. Dreams of Kai—of holding him close, of feeling his warmth—left him restless, driven to the edge of reason by the emptiness that greeted him upon waking.

The mansion had become a prison, its walls closing in, suffocating them in their unfulfilled desires. None of them spoke of it, yet all three shared the same madness. Their silent rivalry had become an unspoken alliance, a shared desperation that transcended jealousy. They understood one another's pain, each caught in the same fevered hunger, a need that Kai alone could sate.

One evening, they found themselves gathered outside Kai's study door, drawn together by the same silent impulse. They shared a look—a shared understanding that their sanity was fraying, that they were reaching the edge of their endurance.

Edward broke the silence first, his voice barely more than a whisper. "How much longer can we endure this?" His eyes, usually sharp and composed, were clouded with something darker, a flickering flame that refused to be snuffed out.

Noah's tentacles flexed, coiling around his arms. "I don't know," he admitted, his voice rough. "But I feel like I'm going insane. I can't keep this up. Every time I close my eyes, all I see is him."

Charles wrapped his arms around himself, his tails curling protectively. "We can't go on like this. But… he doesn't want us close. He won't let us in."

Their words hung in the air, heavy and raw. They had reached a breaking point, bound together by a craving that only Kai could satisfy. And yet, even as they spoke of their desperation, they knew they could never force his affection. Kai's words still lingered in their minds—he wouldn't reward obsession, wouldn't tolerate possessiveness.

But the desire, the ache, was unyielding.

Just as the three of them stood in helpless silence, the door to the study creaked open. Kai appeared in the doorway, his expression unreadable as he took in their haunted faces. His gaze lingered, icy and assessing, and for a brief, fragile moment, something like understanding flickered in his eyes.

"Kai," Edward started, his voice trembling, every fiber of his being willing Kai to understand, to see their suffering. "We—"

Kai held up a hand, silencing him. "I know why you're here." His voice was calm, but there was a strange softness beneath the usual coolness.

The three of them held their breath as Kai studied them, his gaze piercing yet distant. "Your obsession is suffocating," he said softly. "It's like a storm raging around me, and I won't let it control me."

Edward, Noah, and Charles shared a look, their hearts sinking at his words. But Kai's gaze softened just slightly, as though he could see the pain that had driven them here.

"Perhaps…" he continued slowly, almost reluctantly, "I could find a way to give you some peace. But only if you're willing to obey me, without question, without breaking my boundaries."

The three of them nodded, their hope rekindling, though the hunger still clawed at them. They would take anything Kai was willing to give, anything to soothe the ache that consumed them.

For the first time in weeks, a glimmer of hope sparked within them—a promise that, perhaps, Kai might acknowledge their devotion. And as they followed him into the study, they knew they would do whatever it took to stay by his side, to earn whatever slivers of his affection he would allow.