Friday 24th January,2025
It had been two weeks since Adam's outburst, and true to his word, things had changed.
Liam was no longer allowed to leave the estate unless it was for school. To enforce this, Adam had his chauffeur arrive nearly half an hour before the end of the school day, waiting patiently to pick up the raven-haired boy. Things weren't any better at home either. Adam barely spoke to him—if at all—and even their exchanged glances had become rare. He had started taking his meals in his study, clearly intent on avoiding unnecessary run-ins.
Liam had been reduced to interacting with the staff as his only associates. Most of them feared him—everyone except Yoon, his one safe haven. School remained the only place where he could breathe freely, the one space untouched by constant surveillance.
On this particular day, however—while he was fast asleep on his desk after an especially long lesson—he felt a hand tap his shoulder. He stirred awake and looked up, meeting the gaze of a tall, ginger-haired male.
Kim Seojun stared down at him, concern dulling his usual brightness. It was lunchtime, yet the classroom was empty—everyone else had already rushed off to the cafeteria.
"Dude, aren't you hungry today?" Kim asked.
"Not really in the mood, Kim," Liam replied.
Ignoring him completely, Kim climbed onto a nearby desk, unzipped his backpack, and pulled out a takeaway bag before handing it to the raven-haired boy.
"I didn't know if you liked Korean food, so I went with the American option—KFC and fries. And before you say no, it's not refundable. Oh, and here's your smoothie too."
Liam accepted the drink, pretending he hadn't planned to decline in the first place—though Kim knew better.
As the only son of a powerful tycoon family, Kim had always been generous by nature. A Stella student, basketball captain, and effortlessly social, he was the very definition of perfection. The only flaw his parents ever pointed out were his eyes—one emerald green, the other a deep ocean blue. But Kim had never minded. If anything, it was what made him stand out.
Liam needed to blow off some steam—and fast—before he completely snapped.
Kim had suggested attending a party hosted by the seniors the next day, but then remembered the male's newly restricted life. He went quiet for a moment, thinking, before finally speaking.
"Why not just host the party at your place instead? I heard Adam's going to be out of town for a while."
A party at the mansion—no restrictions whatsoever—sounded like the perfect last act of rebellion before resettling into his world of rules. And the fact that he'd have the entire estate to himself made the suggestion even more enticing.
Liam glanced at the ginger-haired male, no longer seeing him as just his deskmate… but as an asset—someone who could turn this into a night to remember.
"Tell me more about this party of yours."
Later that evening, Adam stood beside the Rolls-Royce, calmly instructing Yoon to take charge of the estate as usual until his return. For now, he had to focus on the duties that awaited him.
With one final nod, he stepped into the car. The gates opened, and the vehicle drove off into the distance.
At the same time, Liam peeked out from behind a nearby bush to check if the coast was clear before signaling Kim to come out.
The two had already formed a foolproof plan.
Well… the three, to be exact.
Nathan—at the demon prince's request—had already charmed most of the staff into taking the weekend off. All except Yoon, who had a surprisingly strong resistance to the spell.
Was that a problem?
Of course not.
All it took was one whiff of sleeping dust, and the man was out cold.
With no more distractions, the two got to work setting everything up—decorations, snacks, music, lights. Everything needed to make the party unforgettable.
And if there was one thing everyone knew about incubi—when it came to parties,they always went all out.
Hours later, the party was in full swing.
The mansion was bathed in dim, purplish lights, music blasting from nearby speakers hard enough to make the walls vibrate. Bodies crowded the dance floor, moving like there was no tomorrow. Some gulped down drinks, others chatted loudly over the noise. And if you looked closely, you'd even spot a few silhouettes tangled together in darker corners.
The gender?
He couldn't care less.
Just the sight of normally composed students letting loose was more than enough.
The raven-haired male stood on the dance floor as well, a glass of martini in hand. Kim, on the other hand, was… preoccupied in a corner with a Latina girl.
Typical.
Meanwhile, miles away from Seoul, Adam arrived at an old pagoda, where he was ushered in by the house master himself.
The place was eerily quiet, almost lifeless.
It had barely been visited since the incident.
His gaze swept across the empty halls, memories surfacing uninvited. The place used to be lively—filled with voices, footsteps, warmth.
Now it felt like nothing more than a hollow shell of its former self.
Adam had never truly come to terms with what had happened here.
But reality wasn't something he could keep running from.
Back at the party, Liam stepped away from the dance floor to grab something from the fridge.
As he rummaged through the shelves, Nathan entered the kitchen too, leaning casually against the counter.
"Got a soda?" he asked.
It had been a while since he'd last had a snack—and he definitely wasn't talking about food.
As an incubus, Nathan considered this the longest he'd ever gone without feeding.
Now?
He was starving.
And not just for anything.
It had to be appetizing.
He closed his eyes, inhaling slowly—
Then froze.
His nose caught a whiff of something sweet. Enticing.
Prey he hadn't expected to find in a place like this.
"That scent…" Nathan muttered. "Can you smell it too?"
"What scent?" Liam asked.
As the two exited the kitchen, the scent grew even stronger—more intoxicating—making the redhead glance around in search of its source.
His eyes deepened into a rich shade of lilac as his hunger began to surface, slow and uncontrollable.
Then the ginger-haired male came into view.
The source.
"If you're planning on making Kim your next target, you'd better find someone else," Liam warned. "He's straight."
Nathan smirked. "I'm up for a challenge."
With a snap of his fingers, his appearance shifted.
The handsome incubus vanished—replaced by an absolutely seductive goddess.
His red hair lengthened, cascading down his back. Lilac eyes turned an icy blue, cold and mesmerizing. His frame softened into elegant, dangerous curves, and his casual clothes melted away into a tight black bodycon dress that hugged every line perfectly.
The ideal look for a succubus.
"Damn," Liam muttered. "Why didn't I think of that?"
Nathan—now she—simply flicked her hair and sauntered toward her target.
Kim was chatting with a few friends when the mysterious woman approached and asked to speak with him alone. His friends immediately started whistling and teasing, patting him on the back before walking off.
"You're Kim, right?" she asked smoothly.
"The one and only," he replied with a grin. "And what do I owe the pleasure of talking to someone this gorgeous?"
"Just thought I'd examine my prey up close," she said bluntly.
The straightforwardness didn't deter him.
If anything, it intrigued him more.
"Are you always this direct with your prey?" Kim teased.
"It depends," she said softly. "Is it working?"
Kim stepped closer until their faces were only inches apart, challenging her.
But she didn't budge.
"What do you think?" he murmured.
The air between them grew heavy, charged. Neither side willing to back down.
"I think," she whispered, "it's going to be a very long night."
Kim smirked. "It definitely is, gorgeous. Lead the way."
Together, they slipped out of the mansion, heading somewhere a little more… private.
Liam watched everything from a distance and simply shook his head, amused by the absurdity of the whole situation—completely unaware of the red mist slowly seeping in through the walls.
At the same time, Yoon stirred awake.
He had no memory of how he'd ended up there.
Bound tightly with ropes, he tried to break free, but they didn't budge. Instinctively, he attempted to channel his mana—
Nothing.
The restraints suppressed it.
Which meant he'd have to improvise.
After scanning the room, he spotted his phone lying on the floor. It was out of reach… but with enough effort, maybe he could drag it closer and call for help.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the party shifted.
What had once been lively suddenly turned heavy. Lustful.
The red mist thickened as it spread, slowly taking control.
People's hidden desires began surfacing.
Illusions of their deepest fantasies blurred into reality.
Liam was no exception.
He noticed the strange change in mood but simply shrugged it off, unaware of the danger creeping closer.
*. *. *.
LIAM
I noticed everyone acting weird—like they were in a trance—but honestly, I didn't care enough to question it.
That's when I felt it.
A presence.
Close.
I looked around.
Nothing.
Still… it felt like something—or someone—was standing right behind me.
Without thinking, I glanced at my phone's lock screen.
It was a selfie I'd managed to take with Adam in the background. From before things had gone south.
Before everything changed.
Then—
"Why roll over for a male who barely acknowledges your existence?"
A voice.
Male.
Low.
Right next to me.
I spun around.
Nothing.
"The great demon prince… falling for a brooding archangel. How… enticing."
"Who said that?" I demanded.
Silence.
I tried to brush it off, but the voice wouldn't leave my head.
That's when I noticed it clearly—
The red mist.
The mark of a lust demon.
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, trying to resist whatever sinful whispers were creeping in.
"No need to dispose of me just yet, Your Highness," the voice purred. "I can make all your fantasies reality."
"You're lying," I muttered, squeezing my eyes shut. "It's just an illusion."
"But haven't you wondered… how things would be different if you weren't a demon… and he wasn't an angel?"
The voice grew softer. Closer.
"Or if you were female instead of male… would he fall for you then?"
The room suddenly felt like it was closing in.
The red mist darkened, thickening until it swallowed everything, cutting everyone out of sight and leaving me alone in an empty void of nothingness.
Silence.
I looked down at my hands—
They looked… smaller.
Slimmer.
Feminine.
My heart skipped.
Stumbling toward the nearest mirror, I froze.
Staring back at me wasn't myself.
I was—
A girl.
My jet-black hair had grown longer, cascading past my shoulders. My once-muscular frame had softened into unfamiliar curves. My waist was slimmer, my hips wider.
I barely recognized the reflection.
Especially not dressed in a short gray mini skirt, a white crop top, and a red sports jacket.
My fingers trembled as I touched my face, struggling to process what I was seeing.
"This isn't real…" I whispered.
"Liam?"
A familiar voice called out.
Adam.
I spun around and spotted him a few steps away.
Relief flooded me.
I rushed to his side, trying to explain that something was wrong—that none of this made sense—but he simply caught my hand before it could reach for his rosary.
His touch was cold.
Too cold.
"What are you talking about, my love?" he said softly. "Everything's fine. It's always been fine."
My brows furrowed.
Always?
He gestured around us.
The void melted away, replaced by a lavish mansion—bright, pristine, luxurious.
Nothing like the chaotic estate from before.
"We built this together," Adam continued. "Remember? All of it. So what could possibly be wrong?"
My chest tightened.
No.
This wasn't right.
It couldn't be.
How could we be… this happy?
Why did it feel so fake?
I slowly pulled my hand from his grasp and stepped back.
This couldn't be real.
There was no way our story had ever been this perfect.
And did the man who had been avoiding me for two whole weeks just call me love?
There was no way.
I expected him to back off once he noticed my discomfort.
But he didn't.
Instead, he stepped closer.
For every step I took back, the blonde followed.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
We kept moving like that until my back hit something solid.
The wall.
A dead end.
"Stay back," I warned. "I'm serious."
Adam stopped only inches away—close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from his body.
Too close.
My breath hitched.
He studied my face for a moment, noticing my nerves, before gently lifting my chin so our eyes met.
His gaze was different.
Soft.
Warm.
A kind of warmth I had never seen him show before.
"You're nervous, aren't you?" he murmured.
"Who? Me? Nervous? Of course not," I shot back quickly.
He chuckled.
Low.
Smooth.
God.
Why was his voice so damn attractive?
What was it with guys and those deep, mature voices?
Great.
And now I'm thinking like a girl.
Just.
Freaking.
Great.