~~OBSSESION~~ {BOOK 1} (Shadow Milk Cookie x reader)

Chapter 4

You paused, your gaze flicking around the room once more, making sure nothing was lurking just beyond your sight. The weight of Shadow Milk's presence pressed down on you, suffocating the space. With a deep breath, you lifted your chin, a sorrowful smile tugging at the corners of your lips, though it felt more like a mask. "The Virtue of Knowledge would say... you only did it because you were lonely in your job. No one could understand you."

Your voice rang out, not just a statement but an accusation, and you watched closely for his reaction. Your senses were on high alert—your dough stilled as your eyes darted to the edges of the room. Was he trying to trap you with some illusion, some trick? Was the room shifting beneath your feet, or were you just imagining it?

His grin faltered for just a second, but the moment felt like an eternity. A crack in his mask, so small, yet so telling. But then—it was gone. He was back, the theatrical villain, floating closer, his staff tapping rhythmically against the floor like a ticking clock.

"Lonely?" he whispered, voice dripping with cold venom. "LONELY?! HA!" His laugh rang out, echoing off the chamber's walls with a sharpness that cut through the air. "No! Silly cookie, I chose it. Chaos. Deceit. The freedom to shape the truth as I see fit and nothing more."

You stared at him, your heart sinking as his words weighed on you. "But isn't that just running away?" you countered, your voice steady but sharp, laced with a bite. "Instead of facing the cracks, you hid behind lies."

Silence hung in the air for a moment, thick and heavy, the weight of your words pressing down on both of you. His eyes narrowed, the ghostly ones around him flickering in subtle agitation. Had you pushed him too far? The fleeting thought of regret flashed through your mind, but it was quickly replaced by a quiet resolve. You would not back down now.

"You know it's a lie," you added, your voice unwavering. "But if you don't want to acknowledge it now, you will eventually. You'll have to face it sooner or later."

There was a slight shift in the air, a barely perceptible change in his stance. Shadow Milk Cookie's grin faltered, just for a moment. But his eyes, cold and calculating, bore into yours with a mixture of surprise and something else—something deeper, more vulnerable than he'd ever let you see.

He didn't want to show it, but he couldn't mask the shift in his demeanor completely. The flicker of hesitation, the brief flash of confusion, was there—before his mask snapped back into place.

"Interesting," he said, his tone smooth once again, though there was a hint of something unspoken beneath it. "You're much more stubborn than I expected, little star. But we'll see if your resolve can withstand my little performance, won't we?"

He floated closer, his movements so fluid, so controlled, that it almost seemed like he was walking rather than gliding. His grin widened, but now it was colder, more distant—still the façade, still the act. But for a split second, just a fraction of a second, you caught a glimpse of the exhaustion, the weight of everything he had been running from.

Shadow Milk Cookie spun his staff lazily, a flicker of something almost imperceptible passing through his eyes as he spoke again. "Very well. If you wish to understand me, stay. Watch my show. Perhaps, in the grand finale, you'll find the answers you seek. Or perhaps..." His grin deepened, the edges sharp as his teeth gleamed in the dim light. "You'll lose yourself in the performance."

The lights dimmed around you, the stage coming to life with an eerie grace. The haunting melody filled the air, the illusion of movement unfolding with a slow, deliberate pace. You stood frozen, caught between the urge to run and the inexplicable curiosity tugging at your heart.