⚠️WARNING!⚠️
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A/N: Mentions of drug use, Alcoholism, Smoking, Bad Influence for young audiences, Triggers, Self Hate/SA, Kidnapping, Assault, Might be cringe??

You have been warned.

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Y/N turned around, trying to ignore the weight of Farley's stare drilling into the back of their head. They could feel the intensity, the unspoken judgment radiating from the woman who stood just behind them. Y/N's mind was racing with the repercussions of what they had just said-something reckless, something impulsive. They knew better than to speak so carelessly, especially in front of Farley, Bensan's right-hand woman, the one whose loyalty and temper were known to be as fierce as her blade.

It was about the child, of course. Y/N had been rash, suggesting that they might be the ones to adopt the child. There was no certainty about the situation, no final decision from anyone, yet Y/N had blurted it out as though it were already settled. They bit their lip, regretting the words as soon as they left their mouth. Farley would undoubtedly take it straight to Bensan. It was dangerous, too dangerous to even entertain such an idea in public, much less voice it out loud in front of someone like her.

As Y/N walked away, their footsteps slower than usual, they couldn't help but replay the moment in their mind. Maybe it wasn't the worst idea, though. Maybe-just maybe-it could work. What if they could be the ones to raise the child, protect them, give them a life away from all the chaos that swirled around Bensan's empire? But was it possible? Y/N didn't know, didn't even have a clue how such an endeavor might come to fruition. There were too many risks. Bensan wouldn't agree.

Farley would never allow it. Still, the thought clung to them, a seed planted in their mind...

They stopped for a moment, just before turning a corner, and found themselves lost in the idea. What if it could happen? What if they could just... take the child, protect them, give them a chance at something better?
But just as quickly as the thought took root, reality came crashing down like a cold wave of darkness.

Farley was far too loyal to Bensan to let such a thing slide. No, they knew it wasn't a matter of if, but when she'd report it to him. And once Bensan knew, once he found out about Y/N's little "slip-up", there would be no going back. Y/N would find themselves at his mercy, and the child would likely be back under Bensan's control, just like everything else.

There was no escaping that reality...

Before they could formulate a plan, before they could even come to terms with their internal turmoil, Y/N was snapped from their thoughts by the sound of heavy footsteps. Four guards appeared from the shadows, surrounding them with an unsettling precision. Panic flared briefly in Y/N's chest, but there was no time to react. One of the guards grabbed them from behind, their grip like iron, and another knocked them out cold with a swift blow to the back of their head.

Everything went dark...

When Y/N came to, their surroundings were unfamiliar, the air thick with tension. But their mind was clouded, groggy from the blow.

They blinked, trying to focus, but the last thing they remembered was those guards, those cold eyes. Farley hadn't wasted any time, had she?

The chains around their wrists and the damp stone walls were the only clues that Y/N needed. They were in Bensan's dungeon now.

Farley had wasted no time reporting to Bensan, and this was his answer. There would be no room for compassion, no room for dreams of adoption, not when their fate was already sealed. Y/N could only hope they'd get a chance to explain themselves—if that was even possible now...