Taming the Devil

Chapter 17: The Chains You Can't See

Progress barely made it home that evening without Almond following him all the way to his doorstep. The suffocating presence of the boy lingered in his mind, his words replaying like a haunting melody.

"You belong to me, Progress. And I will do anything to make sure you stay by my side."

Even after shutting the door to his condo, Progress couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling in his chest. He had always seen Almond as clingy, spoiled, and way too attached, but the way he spoke today... it was different.

It was possessive.

It was terrifying.

"Ughhh," Progress groaned, running a hand through his hair. Maybe he was just overthinking. Maybe Almond was just really, really bad at handling emotions.

Before he could dwell on it any longer, his phone buzzed.

Meepoh: We're outside. Let us in before we break down the door.

Progress sighed in relief. Finally, something normal.

He opened the door, and Meepoh, Ohm, and Per walked in like they owned the place, carrying snacks and energy drinks like they were preparing for war.

"We need to talk," Ohm said immediately, dropping onto the couch.

"Nice to see you too," Progress scoffed, locking the door.

"No, seriously," Meepoh said, sitting cross-legged on the floor. "This Almond thing is getting out of control."

Progress rolled his eyes. "Here we go again-"

"We're not joking, Progress!" Per snapped, his usual playful tone gone. "That guy is dangerous. He's not just some bratty rich kid with attachment issues. He's ruthless."

Progress let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "You guys sound ridiculous. Have you seen Almond? He literally pouts when I don't pay attention to him."

Ohm shot him a look. "That's exactly the problem. He only acts like that around you. The rest of us? He looks at us like we're nothing. Like he could kill us without a second thought."

"That's exaggerating," Progress muttered, grabbing a soda.

Meepoh sighed, rubbing his temples. "You don't see it because he wants you to see him that way. To you, he's this fragile, needy little thing that you feel responsible for. But to everyone else, he's terrifying."

"He's a mafia heir, Progress," Per added. "Not just some rich kid. His family owns half the underworld, and he was raised to be just like them."

Progress frowned. "So what? You think he's some bloodthirsty criminal? That he's gonna-what? Kill me if I don't let him cling to me?" He scoffed. "That's insane."

Ohm leaned forward, his voice dropping. "You remember what happened to that senior from last year?"

Progress blinked. "Huh?"

"Exactly," Ohm said darkly. "Because no one talks about it. He disappeared. After pissing off Almond."

Meepoh nodded. "And what about the guy from another school who tried to flirt with Almond last semester?"

"Transferred overnight," Per muttered. "No warning. No goodbye."

Progress stared at them. "You guys sound like you're making up ghost stories."

Meepoh huffed. "Progress, listen. We know you don't want to believe it, but that's because Almond made you see him differently. He's a psycho. He's obsessed with you."

Progress laughed, shaking his head. "Guys, come on. He's clingy, yeah, but psycho? No way. He literally cries when I ignore him for five minutes."

Ohm slammed his fist on the table, frustration burning in his eyes. "Because he wants you to think he's weak! He lets you think that so you don't run away!"

Progress hesitated. For the first time, he felt something cold crawl up his spine.

But then he shook it off. No. Almond was just... Almond.

"Look," Progress sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I get that he's intense. But I don't think he's some dangerous psychopath like you guys are saying."

Per exhaled sharply. "You really don't believe us, do you?"

Progress smiled lazily. "Nope."

Meepoh groaned, falling back onto the floor. "This idiot is going to die and still think Almond is just a spoiled baby."

Ohm rubbed his temples. "Progress, just... just be careful, okay? One day, you're gonna see the real Almond. And I just hope-" He paused, staring at him seriously. "I hope it's not too late when you do."

Progress laughed it off. "Sure, sure. Now, who's up for a movie?"

His friends groaned in defeat, but as the night went on, the uneasy feeling in Progress's chest never really went away.