Raphael couldn't feel his hands anymore. The chains had been on too long, digging into his wrists, cutting off circulation. His body slumped forward, head hanging, ears twitching at every little sound in the darkness. His breathing was shallow. Slow. The cold stone behind him felt like ice against his torn skin.
Then—footsteps.
Slow. Steady. Getting closer.
His whole body tensed. His stomach twisted, but there was no energy left to fight it. He knew who it was.
"Well, well… if it isn't my dear Raphael."
That voice.
His chest tightened. His heart pounded.
"Please…" His voice came out broken, barely a whisper. "Boss… I promise… I'll pay back… everything I owe…"
Laughter. Low. Amused.
Metal scraped against stone.
Raphael barely had a second to brace himself before—
CRACK.
The flail ripped into his back, sharp spikes tearing into flesh.
"AGH—!" His body jerked against the chains. Blood splattered against the stone floor. His muscles clenched so hard it felt like they might snap.
Another strike.
He gasped, the pain white-hot, burning.
"Hhh—ahh—ngh—"
Again.
The impact sent a violent shudder through his body. His skin split open. Blood ran warm down his back, dripping onto the floor beneath him. His breath came in sharp, broken sobs.
The gang leader chuckled. "After everything I've done for you, Raphael, this is how you repay me?"
The flail crashed down again.
He didn't even have the breath to scream—just a strangled, choked gasp.
The weapon clattered to the ground. A hand grabbed his hair, yanking his head up.
His blindfold was damp—sweat, blood, tears. His lips trembled.
The gang leader leaned in. His breath smelled of ale and smoke.
"I wonder what went wrong," he mused, voice mockingly soft. "Where's the cold-blooded beast I once knew? You've gone soft…"
Raphael's body twitched. His throat felt tight. His voice barely came out. "I'm… sorry…"
The words tasted like blood.
His head slammed into the wall. Hard.
CRACK.
His skull rang. Black spots filled his vision, even through the blindfold. Blood trickled down his face.
"Sorry?" The voice turned cold. "Is that all you have to say?"
Silence. His chest rose and fell in uneven, shallow gasps. His body shook.
Then—
"You were never this weak until you found that little brat of a girl."
The words punched through him harder than any weapon. His breath hitched.
"She's been nothing but trouble for you."
No.
His body trembled violently.
"If you… hurt her…" His voice shook. "I'll kill you… I'll kill every one of you…"
Laughter. Cruel.
"And how exactly do you plan to do that, Raphael?"
The gang leader leaned in, voice a whisper now.
"I've already sent my men to deal with the brat."
Raphael's stomach dropped. A cold, suffocating dread wrapped around his chest.
"She'll be dead before you even know it."
His breath caught in his throat.
"No… please… don't hurt her…" His voice was small. Desperate.
A sharp kick to the ribs.
CRACK.
A broken cry tore from his throat as his body collapsed sideways, chains rattling. Blood dripped from his mouth, splattering onto the stone floor.
"Cry all you want, Raphael. It won't change anything."
The footsteps faded. The door groaned open, then slammed shut.
Silence.
Raphael's body twitched. His breathing came in sharp, uneven gasps. His ribs screamed. His back burned. His hands curled into weak fists, nails digging into his palms.
Then the tears came. Slow at first. Silent. Then shaking sobs wracked his body.
"I'm sorry… Lily…" His voice was hoarse, broken. "I couldn't protect you…"
Blood pooled beneath him, warm against the cold stone.
His body ached. His heart ached worse.
The Forest of Blood
The streets of Balmount were packed, but Kibo barely noticed. His grip tightened around Lily's hand as he pulled her through the chaos. The weight of the knights' stares pressed against his back, but none of them moved. None of them stopped him. He swallowed hard. If they knew what he was doing—what he was about to do—would they care?
It didn't matter.
The moment they crossed the kingdom's walls, the forest swallowed them whole. The trees loomed high, their gnarled branches twisting like skeletal fingers. The air was thick, damp, suffocating. Kibo pressed forward, but Lily, her small legs struggling to keep up, suddenly stumbled.
She gasped for air, her grip on his hand loosening.
Kibo turned back instantly. "I'm sorry for dragging you along so roughly."
Lily panted but managed a small smile. "No, no, it's okay. Thank you for worrying about me and helping me."
Kibo's heart did something strange.
Her voice—so soft, so trusting. Her face, sweet even in exhaustion.
"So cute."
But there was no time to think about that. Not now.
His mind buzzed with thoughts of her brother. Would his grandfather be able to find him? Or was this all for nothing?
"Let's go home," he said, forcing a smile. "The forest can be dangerous."
Lily's face brightened. "Okay!"
She reached for his hand again. He took it, squeezing gently.
For a moment, it felt like they were safe.
For a moment, everything was okay.
Then the rustling came.
Kibo froze.
Two men emerged from the trees.
Scarred. Armed. Smirking.
Every muscle in Kibo's body tensed as he shoved Lily behind him.
"Would you look at that," the taller one sneered, his scar twisting with his grin.
The other, the one with an eyepatch, licked his lips. His gaze slithered over Lily.
Kibo's breath hitched.
"We just hit the jackpot with this lovely young lady."
His heartbeat roared in his ears.
"W-what do you want?" His voice barely came out.
They laughed. A cruel, ugly sound.
The scarred man waved his sword lazily. "We just want the girl. Her brother is worried about her."
Kibo's mind screamed.
Lies.
Lily's fingers dug into his shirt. He stepped back, pulling her with him.
"Don't even think about running," the eyepatch man snarled.
Kibo's stomach twisted.
"Run!" he shouted.
Lily turned—
A hand grabbed him.
Another yanked Lily down.
Kibo thrashed, kicking, biting, but the scarred man held him tight.
"You little brat," the man snarled.
Kibo did the only thing he could.
He slammed his forehead into the man's nose.
CRACK.
The man howled, staggering back. Kibo broke free.
"Run!" he screamed.
Lily tried, but the eyepatch man pinned her to the ground.
Her scream—so small, so terrified—ripped through Kibo's chest.
Rage burned inside him.
His hand flew to his pocket.
His fingers curled around the dagger.
His body shook.
Could he do it? Could he actually—?
A fist crashed into his face.
Pain exploded. His skull snapped back.
And then—
White-hot agony.
A wet, gurgling sound filled the air.
Something warm spilled down his stomach.
The scarred man sneered, wrenching his short sword out of Kibo's gut.
Kibo choked. His knees buckled.
Lily's scream.
His blood. His blood was everywhere.
He collapsed, his vision spinning.
"This can't be how I die."
"I'm useless."
"I couldn't even protect her."
His lips trembled.
"I'm sorry."
The world blurred.
Then—
Snap.
The boy stopped breathing.
The two men barely noticed, too busy restraining the girl.
Then something shifted.
A whisper in the air.
A pulse.
The air around them grew thick, heavy, suffocating.
The eyepatch man wiped something warm off his face. He looked down.
Blood.
But it wasn't Kibo's.
His partner staggered forward, a wet gurgle escaping his throat. His eyes rolled back, and he hit the ground with a dull thud.
A dagger was buried in the back of his skull.
The remaining man's breath hitched.
Slowly, he turned.
Kibo stood.
His body was drenched in blood. His own. His enemy's.
But he wasn't shaking anymore.
He wasn't weak anymore.
His eyes glowed—a deep, unnatural light.
A shadow curled around his feet, rising, twisting.
The man tightened his grip on Lily, yanking her up like a human shield. "S-Stay back!" he shrieked. "If you come any closer, I'll kill her!"
Kibo tilted his head.
Then—
He laughed.
Soft at first. A breathy heh… heh… heh… that barely left his lips.
Then it grew.
Low, raspy chuckles slipping free like something breaking apart. Heh… heh… hehehehe…
Then deeper.
Wilder.
Louder.
"Heheheheh… Hahhahahah… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!*"
The sound ripped through the forest, twisting through the air like something alive.
It was wrong.
Too loud. Too crazed.
A hungry laugh, like a beast that had tasted blood and wanted more.
Lily whimpered.
The eyepatch man's grip on her loosened.
Kibo's head snapped up, his grin splitting his face, all teeth, all madness, all wrong.
The man's breath came out in short, shallow gasps. His eye darted around as if looking for something—anything—to save him.
"What… w-what have we done?" he whispered.
A blur.
A flash of movement.
Then—
"GAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
His hand was gone.
Blood spurted from the stump in thick, hot streams. The man let out a wretched, inhuman shriek.
"AAAAARGHHHHH!! MY HAND!! AHHH!!"
He collapsed onto the ground, writhing, his whole body convulsing.
"It hurts—it hurts—it HURTS—ARGGGHHH!!"
Kibo took a step forward.
The man scrambled back, his mouth foaming, his eye wide with sheer terror.
"P-please, kid, don't—"
Kibo crouched down, fingers curling around the dagger still buried in the dead man's skull.
He yanked it free.
Blood dripped from the blade.
The man let out a strangled sob.
"No, please—NO—AGGGHHH!!!"
The dagger plunged into his head.
A sickening squelch.
His body twitched.
Then—
Silence.
The only sound left was the quiet patter of blood dripping onto the leaves.
Kibo stood there, chest rising and falling.
Then—
A voice.
Soft.
Trembling.
"Kibo…?"
He turned.
Lily stood frozen, her entire body shaking.
She was looking at him like he was a monster.
Kibo opened his mouth—to say something, anything—
Then his body seized.
The power vanished.
A sudden, unbearable pain tore through him. His knees buckled.
The last thing he saw was Lily's horrified face.
The last thing he heard was his name, a whisper, a plea—
"Kibo…?"
Darkness swallowed him whole.