Chapter One — The Doll in the Golden Cage

The boy looked too fragile to exist in this world.

His name was Aoi Yukishiro, twenty years old by calendar, but no older than five inside his mind. His entire body was carved from snowlight—hair pure white as frost, eyes clear as polished glass, lashes pale enough to vanish against his skin. At 156 cm, he was slight, delicate, almost translucent, like a doll placed in a glass case.

And that, in truth, was exactly what he had become.

The glass case was a mansion bedroom, larger than most people’s homes, lined with thick velvet curtains that swallowed daylight. Expensive toys filled the shelves—wooden trains, stuffed animals, puzzles with bright colors. Boxes of chocolate rested on the nightstand, and the freezer in the corner held tubs of strawberry ice cream.

Everything Aoi loved was here.

Everything he thought he needed was here.

And still, he stared at the locked window with longing. Beyond the curtains lay a world he had not touched in years.

The door opened with a soft click.

Renji Kuroba entered, the air shifting instantly under his presence. 170 cm, broad shoulders filling the doorway, a body hardened by violence yet elegant in its control. His suit was perfectly pressed, though the faint metallic tang of blood clung to him. His eyes—red as fresh wounds—glowed with an intensity that made even grown men fall to their knees.

But those same eyes softened when they fell on the boy sitting cross-legged on the carpet, cradling a stuffed rabbit.

“My snow fairy,” Renji murmured.

Aoi looked up, his face brightening with childlike joy. “Renji! Look, Bunny says hi!” He held up the plush, waving its paw.

Renji’s lips curved, but not with amusement. It was hunger. Obsession. Relief. Fear.

All tangled in one smile.

He crossed the room in three strides, crouched before Aoi, and brushed the boy’s snowy bangs back from his face. His fingers were warm, rough, stained by power and blood, yet his touch trembled as though Aoi were porcelain that might shatter.

“You waited for me?” Renji asked softly.

Aoi giggled. “Mm-hm! But… but I got lonely. Bunny played with me, but Bunny doesn’t give ice cream.” His pout was small, lips pink and trembling. “Can we go outside today, Renji? There’s ice cream shops outside! Big ones!”

The request was innocent. Harmless. But the words made Renji’s smile vanish.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop. His grip on Aoi’s chin tightened, forcing those clear eyes to meet burning red.

“No,” Renji said, his tone low, final. “Outside doesn’t exist for you.”

Aoi blinked, confusion flooding his face. “…But why? Kids get to go. Why not me?”

“Because you are not like them.” Renji’s voice cracked with restrained madness. He leaned closer, forehead pressing against Aoi’s. “You are mine, Aoi. My doll. My fairy. The world doesn’t deserve to touch you. If I let you out, they’ll see you. They’ll want you. And I—” his breath hitched, hands trembling against Aoi’s small shoulders— “I’ll kill anyone who tries.”

Aoi’s small body shivered under the intensity, though his mind could barely grasp the depth of the words. He only knew Renji’s arms felt heavy. Safe. Scary.

He whimpered softly. “I just… wanted ice cream…”

Renji closed his eyes, exhaling shakily. Then he kissed Aoi’s snowy hair, voice rough with desperation.

“Then I’ll buy every ice cream in the city. I’ll fill this room with it if that’s what you want. But you will never step outside, Aoi. Never.”

Velvet chains tightened again.

And Aoi, clutching Bunny to his chest, whispered in a trembling voice that would both comfort and destroy his captor—

“…Okay. I’ll stay with Renji.”

Renji’s arms remained around him, suffocatingly tight. Aoi squirmed, pressing the rabbit plush between them like a shield. The air smelled faintly of iron and cologne, a smell Aoi didn’t like but had grown used to.

“Renji,” he whispered, lips trembling, “you’re squishing Bunny…”

Renji blinked. Slowly, reluctantly, his grip loosened. His crimson eyes softened as he looked down at the crushed rabbit. He reached out, straightening its floppy ears with surprising gentleness.

“…I’m sorry, Bunny,” Renji murmured, kissing the plush’s head. Then his gaze flicked back to Aoi, his voice a husky growl. “But I’ll never apologize for holding you too tightly. I can’t let you slip away.”

Aoi tilted his head, confused. “Slip away? I’m right here.”

Renji laughed under his breath, though it was a hollow, broken sound. He stood and snapped his fingers.

The door opened, and two of his men entered, arms laden with boxes and bags. Toys—bright plastic, wood, and plush—spilled across the carpet. There were puzzles, cars, a dollhouse, building blocks. Beside them, another man wheeled in a cart stacked with tubs of ice cream, chocolates, lollipops, and cakes.

Aoi’s silver eyes widened in wonder. His lips parted in a gasp, and he crawled forward on hands and knees like a child at a carnival. “T-Toys! And ice cream! For me?”

Renji’s chest eased for the first time that day. Watching the boy’s innocent delight smothered the gnawing paranoia in his mind, if only for a moment.

“Yes,” Renji said softly. “All for you. Everything in this world exists for you.”

Aoi clapped his hands, giggling, reaching greedily for the tub of strawberry ice cream. He dug the spoon in, messy and careless, getting pink cream on his lips and cheeks. His childlike joy made him glow, an untouchable fairy in a cage of gold.

Renji sat beside him on the carpet, unbuttoning his suit jacket, watching with a strange intensity that blurred the line between affection and possession. He reached out, brushing his thumb over Aoi’s lips, wiping away the smear of ice cream.

Aoi froze mid-bite. His small body shivered under that touch, though he didn’t fully understand why.

Renji’s voice was low, almost a prayer.

“Even like this, you’re beautiful. My fragile snow fairy. My doll.”

Night fell.

The toys lay scattered across the floor, the ice cream half-melted. Aoi yawned, curled under his blanket with Bunny tucked in his arms. His white hair spread across the pillow like snow.

Renji sat on the edge of the bed, his crimson eyes fixed on the boy’s sleeping face. His hand hovered above that pale cheek, trembling with restraint.

“You don’t understand, Aoi,” he whispered, voice hoarse. “If I let you out, the world will see you. They’ll crave you. And I’ll lose you. I can’t let that happen. I’d rather break you than lose you.”

He leaned down, pressing the faintest kiss to snowy lashes.

“You’re mine. Forever.”

Morning light tried to slip past the thick velvet curtains, but the room remained dim, as if the sun itself wasn’t allowed to touch the boy inside.

Aoi woke slowly, stretching like a cat, his white hair tangled in soft curls around his face. He blinked, rubbing his eyes with the back of his small hand.

“Bunny…” he mumbled, hugging his plush tightly. “Wake up too… it’s morning…”

The sound of footsteps made him look up.

Renji stood near the door, already dressed in his black suit, crimson eyes sharp and unreadable. But when Aoi smiled at him, the king’s gaze softened in an instant, as though the weight of the underworld he carried slipped away just by seeing that innocent face.

“Renji! You came back!” Aoi giggled, waving his little plush rabbit in greeting. “Bunny missed you.”

Renji crossed the room with measured steps. He knelt beside the bed, his large hand cupping Aoi’s pale cheek. The contrast was striking—his tanned knuckles, scarred and calloused, against skin as delicate as snow.

“I never leave you, Aoi,” Renji murmured. “Even when I step out, my heart stays here. With you.”

Aoi tilted his head, childlike confusion flickering across his face. “But hearts are inside the body. You can’t leave them behind.”

Renji laughed softly, though the sound was broken. He leaned down, pressing his forehead against Aoi’s. “Then I’ll tear it out if I must. So long as you never forget—it belongs only to you.”

Aoi’s lips trembled. He didn’t understand the depth of Renji’s words, but he could feel the weight of them pressing into his small chest. He quickly changed the subject, holding up his plush.

“Renji… can Bunny have breakfast too?”

Renji blinked. “…Bunny?”

Aoi nodded seriously. “Bunny wants pancakes. And chocolate milk!”

The mafia king’s lips curved into something dangerous and tender all at once. He stood, snapping his fingers sharply. The door opened immediately, two servants bowing low.

“Bring pancakes,” Renji ordered. “Chocolate milk. Enough for two.” His crimson eyes flicked back to Aoi, voice lowering. “And make it perfect. If it’s not sweet enough, your tongues will pay the price.”

The servants paled, bowing frantically before rushing away.

Aoi blinked, not grasping the threat in his words. He clapped his hands, giggling. “Yay! Bunny gets breakfast too!”

Renji sat back down on the bed, watching as Aoi arranged the plush rabbit neatly beside him, patting its head as if it were alive.

“You’re happy, then?” Renji asked quietly.

Aoi nodded eagerly, his silver eyes shining. “Mm-hm! Pancakes are the best. But…” He hesitated, his voice softening. “…outside pancakes taste different. Sweeter. Can we go there one day, Renji? Just for pancakes?”

The moment hung heavy in the air.

Renji’s jaw clenched. His hand tightened into a fist against his thigh. He forced a smile, though his eyes glowed dangerously.

“You don’t need outside,” he said firmly, almost harshly. “If you want sweeter pancakes, I’ll buy every chef in the city until one makes it right. But you—” his hand shot out, gripping Aoi’s small wrist, his thumb pressing against delicate bones—“you will never step outside.”

Aoi’s breath hitched, silver eyes glistening with sudden tears. His lips quivered. “…But… but kids get to go outside. They play. They laugh. Why can’t I?”

Renji leaned close, his voice low and trembling with madness.

“Because you’re not a child. You’re my fairy. My doll. If the world touches you, Aoi, it’ll dirty you. And I’ll kill every hand that dares reach for you. Do you understand?”

Tears spilled down Aoi’s cheeks. He didn’t fully understand, not with his childlike mind, but he knew Renji’s anger was dangerous. His small body trembled. He hugged Bunny tightly, whispering in a choked voice—

“…Okay. I’ll stay. Don’t be mad, Renji.”

Renji’s breath shuddered. He pulled the boy into his arms, burying his face in snowy hair that smelled faintly of vanilla.

“I’m not angry,” he lied, though his crimson eyes still burned with feverish obsession. “I’m terrified. Terrified of losing you. So don’t ever ask again. Don’t even dream of it. You’re mine, Aoi. Mine alone.”

And as pancakes and chocolate milk arrived on silver trays, the snow fairy ate in silence, tears drying on his cheeks—while the mafia king watched, chains tightening invisibly around his fragile wings.The silver trays were cleared away, the taste of chocolate still lingering faintly in the air. Aoi had curled up on the sofa with Bunny clutched against his chest, humming tunelessly while stacking toy blocks.

Renji stood near the window, a cigarette burning slowly between his fingers. His crimson eyes, sharp and cold, fixed on the three men kneeling before him.

They were his subordinates—trusted lieutenants who had handled blood, drugs, and money without flinching. But here, in front of their king, they were shaking.

Renji exhaled a stream of smoke, the faint curl drifting lazily above their bowed heads. His voice, when it came, was deceptively soft.

“Which of you left the curtains open last night?”

The men stiffened. One swallowed audibly.

“I… I did, Boss,” the middle one stammered. “I thought… I thought the boy might like some light—”

The cigarette hit the man’s cheek before he finished the sentence, burning skin. He yelped, collapsing fully to the floor.

Renji’s smile was thin, sharp as a blade. “Light?” He chuckled, low and humorless. “You thought my Aoi needed light from the outside world? You thought to remind him of what he cannot have?”

The man whimpered, clutching his scorched skin.

Renji’s crimson eyes flared, voice rising. “If even the faintest shadow of temptation touches him because of your stupidity, I will cut your eyes out and hang them in the hallway as a warning. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Boss! Forgive me, Boss!” the man sobbed.

Renji’s lips curved into something cruel and satisfied. He flicked ash onto the carpet, then turned his back on them. “Get out. All of you. And remember—my snow fairy does not see the world. He does not touch the world. He only breathes because I allow it.”

The men scrambled out like rats.

On the sofa, Aoi had stopped stacking blocks. He hugged Bunny tight, his wide eyes shimmering.

“Renji… why were you scary?” he whispered softly. “Your voice… it was loud.”

Renji turned immediately, the sharpness in his face dissolving the moment his gaze fell on the boy. He strode over, crouching in front of Aoi, pulling him into his arms.

“I wasn’t scary to you, my love,” Renji murmured, kissing his snowy hair. “Never to you. Only to the world that tries to take you from me.”

Aoi pressed his face into Renji’s chest, muffled. “…But the world has ice cream…”

Renji’s jaw tightened. He stroked Aoi’s back in long, soothing motions. “Then I’ll bring the world here. Piece by piece. You’ll never need to go to it.”

Aoi nodded weakly, but his little hands clenched Bunny tighter.

That night, long after Renji had fallen asleep in the armchair beside the bed, Aoi lay awake.

The room was quiet, but his childlike mind buzzed. He thought of the sun he hadn’t felt in years. The laughter of children he once heard long ago. The smell of flowers in spring.

He wanted them.

Even if Renji said no.

Aoi sat up carefully, hugging Bunny close. His silver eyes darted toward the heavy door, then to the window hidden behind curtains. His lips pressed into a pout.

“…Maybe Bunny can help,” he whispered softly, stroking the plush’s ears. “If we ask someone… maybe they’ll open the door.”

In his innocence, Aoi did not know the weight of Renji’s threats, or the blood spilled for his sake. He only knew longing. And longing, even in a child’s heart, was enough to spark rebellion.

He snuggled back under the blanket, whispering to his toy as sleep finally claimed him—

“Don’t tell Renji, Bunny. Tomorrow… we’ll find a way.”

And in the dark, Renji’s crimson eyes opened silently, watching the boy even as he pretended to sleep. His lips curved into a faint, knowing smile.

“My snow fairy… even your dreams belong to me.”The next morning, Aoi awoke early. Renji was not in the room—he had gone to handle business at dawn. For the first time in weeks, the snow fairy was alone except for the silent servants who tidied the space with mechanical precision.

Aoi hugged Bunny to his chest, peeking over the blankets with wide silver eyes. His little heart pounded, excitement and nervousness twisting inside him.

Today. Today he would try.

One of the maids knelt to pick up a fallen block near the bed. Aoi slid off the mattress, bare feet padding across the carpet. He tugged gently at the woman’s sleeve, eyes round and pleading.

“Miss… can you take me outside? Just for ice cream? I’ll be quick… I promise I won’t get lost.”

The maid froze. Fear drained the color from her face. Her hands trembled so badly that the wooden block slipped from her grasp, clattering onto the floor.

“M-Master Aoi…” she stammered, voice barely above a whisper. “Please… don’t say such things. If Lord Renji hears—”

Aoi pouted, stamping his small foot. “But I want to go! Just once! Bunny wants to see the sun!” He held up the plush rabbit as if it might convince her.

The maid’s eyes darted wildly to the door, as though Renji’s shadow might materialize at any second. Tears filled her eyes. “Forgive me… I cannot…” She bowed low, retreating quickly before her shaking gave her away.

Aoi’s pout deepened. He flopped onto the sofa, hugging Bunny tightly. “…Nobody helps,” he whispered sadly.

Evening fell.

Renji returned as usual, his crimson eyes finding Aoi instantly. At first, his smile was soft, relieved. But then, the faintest tremor in Aoi’s behavior—a hesitation in his gaze, the way he hugged Bunny too tightly—caught Renji’s predatory instinct.

He knew.

He always knew.

Renji dismissed the guards and crossed the room in silence. Aoi shifted uneasily on the sofa, shrinking back a little.

“Did you miss me?” Renji asked gently, crouching in front of him.

Aoi nodded quickly. “Mm-hm! But… but I asked the maid… if I could see ice cream outside.” His voice was small, guilty, like a child confessing a broken toy.

The air froze.

Renji’s smile remained, but it was too sharp, too steady. His crimson eyes glowed like embers in the dark.

“I see,” he murmured. He reached out, taking Aoi’s tiny hands in his much larger ones. His grip was gentle—but unbreakable. “My fairy… you disobeyed me.”

Aoi whimpered. “I… I just wanted to see… not to leave you…”

Renji pulled him onto his lap, cradling him against his chest. His lips pressed against snowy hair, his voice low, trembling with feverish intensity.

“Do you know what happens to disobedient dolls, Aoi?”

Aoi shook his head fearfully.

Renji’s hand slid down, pinning Aoi tighter. His breath was hot against the boy’s ear as he whispered:

“They are kept closer. So close they can never think of leaving again.”

Aoi shivered, clinging to Bunny as if the plush could shield him.

Renji kissed the top of his head, then his pale cheek, then finally pressed his lips against the corner of Aoi’s trembling mouth. Not quite a kiss—yet suffocating in its weight.

“You will not ask again,” Renji said, voice raw with obsession. “Or I will lock you where even the sun cannot touch you. Do you understand, my snow fairy?”

Tears welled in Aoi’s silver eyes. He whispered brokenly, “I… I understand. I’ll stay with Renji forever.”

Renji exhaled shakily, relief flooding his crimson gaze. He pulled Aoi tighter against his muscular chest, whispering like a vow:

“Good boy. That’s all I ever need to hear.”

The velvet chains tightened once more—gentle, warm, and suffocating.

And so the snow fairy remained in his gilded cage, unaware that his first attempt at rebellion had already sealed his wings tighter.

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