Chapter 18: Not fun
Cheon Areum’s instincts screamed for caution, but he didn’t resist—at least, not in the way Gunwoo expected. His teeth remained clenched in a silent standoff, denying entry even as he tilted his head to intensify the contact. Gunwoo’s tongue eagerly swept across the barrier of his teeth, pressing for passage.
"Open your mouth."
Cheon Areum’s hands slid up, fingers threading into Gunwoo’s hair. He unclenched his jaw. The tongue rushed in—hot and frantic. But the moment their mouths connected fully, Cheon Areum’s eyes opened—cold and alert. His fingers moved, one hand brushing just behind Gunwoo’s ear, and from beneath his skin, a thin, ink-dark tendril of energy slithered forth, vanishing into Gunwoo’s ear canal.
Stop. Back away.
Gunwoo froze instantly. The voracity in his eyes vanished, replaced by a dull emptiness. His body obeyed before his mind could even register the shift. He staggered back a few steps like a puppet unstrung, eyes hollow, posture slack. It was as if all thought had been severed from action. He stood there, motionless, waiting for another command.
Cheon Areum wiped his mouth grimly with wet wipes from his crossbody half-moon bag. Gunwoo had left a lot of his saliva on his mouth—disgustingly. He stepped toward the dazed Gunwoo and shoved the used wipe into his mouth.
"Don’t scream. Bite your lips or whatever, but don’t let a single sound slip past."
He hadn’t expected it to be this easy to manipulate him. Cheon Areum only had to use a small part of his energy to infiltrate his mind. This was something the original owner of the body did in the book. Cheon Areum could use his energy to manipulate others—and use others’ energy to manipulate them. The only downside was that he could only mess with negative energy. Luckily for him, the energy surrounding Gunwoo was pure black. That’s why he only had to use a drop of his energy to corrupt an already corrupt mind.
The frightening part wasn’t how effective the manipulation was—it was how simple it felt. How natural.