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𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠.

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"What do you think, dear?" Your mother turned to you with a smile. "A horse ride with your future husband sounds quite relaxing, don't you think?"

"It would be quite relaxing, if my future husband actually knew how to ride horses instead of betting on them," you replied flatly, staring right into the man's dark eyes. He met your deadpan look with a smug grin, corners of his mouth curling upwards.

"Touché, my love!" You grit your teeth at the pet name. "Although, I am quite certain you will enjoy the riveting show of horse racing just as much, with my presence by your side!"

"I'm sure she will come to enjoy a few games!" your father agreed. "I myself cannot deny the joy of horse betting."

"Wonderful story, father," you rolled your eyes. Standing up from your seat, you bunched up your skirts as you began making a hasty exit. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have more important matters to worry about," you turned back with a spiteful glare, "such as making sure my kingdom doesn't fall to ruins."

You never liked waiting for responses, and so you left with those final words hanging in the air. Your platter of food had barely been touched, but who could blame you? Your appetite was no longer with you after having to sit at a table with three people who you currently felt nothing but anger towards.

You didn't actually know what you were going to do after leaving the dining hall. If you were being honest, you didn't particularly feel like studying or reading -- you were sure that if you picked up a book, or any object for that matter, it would just end up being hurled at the wall.

Your stomach churned uncomfortably as you stalked down the large, empty hallways. Your footsteps echoed around you, too loud for your tastes. They rang in your ears like high-pitched white noise, never ending, ringing and ringing. It made your chest feel tight. Which you found odd; you were sure you hadn't worn a corset on this particular day.

Everything seemed to be doing a great job at ticking you off, so you took a sharp left instead of a right towards your quarters, heading for the garden. You paused in the glass doorway, eyes scanning over the tall bushes and bunches of flowers decorating the space. The large fountain could just about be seen in the distance, the moon above casting a glinting glow on its running water.

Taking careful steps down, you sighed heavily as your foot made contact with the gravelled pathway, the crunching stones muffling the sound of your heels greatly. You spotted a few guards patrolling the perimeter, each of them giving you a stiff bow before marching onward, their guns propped against their shoulders. You held your tongue this time as they passed.

It was dark, but not dark enough so that you couldn't see where you were going. A breeze swept by, but it's calming nature was lost on you. You slowed your quick pace down to a gentle walk, eyeing the delicately trimmed hedges that stood tall around you.

In most kingdoms, the hedges would be covered in roses, always deep crimson, and always blooming. You had always wondered if they were even real. You had touched their petals, but they didn't feel like silk; thy felt rough and fabricated. Empty, with no sense of care oozing from their centres. They were just as fake as the smiles others had sent your way, ever since you were young.

You raised a hand, stretching a single finger outward towards the flower. It's bleeding colours were darkened under the night sky. For a moment, you forgot that roses were red. This one looked black. Pure black, a darkened abyss, swirling and writhing, contorting into sneering faces. It swayed in the breeze, laughing and mocking you.

You returned your hand. Turning away, you headed towards the fountain, taking a seat on its marble ring. Your tiara was in your hands again. You could barely make out it's engraved designs. The cut gems had lost their flare. They were dull, now. They were nothing more than stones to you. Nothing special. Nothing unique. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

Amidst the trickling of water from behind you, a pair of footsteps sounded from nearby. You straightened your posture, replacing the tiara above your locks, glancing over to your right. A horrible glare graced your features when you saw who it was.

"Please, wait! Don't leave yet!" Karamatsu spoke first, hastening his walk into a jog to reach you. He looked like a lost puppy, eyes wide and brows upturned as he begged you through his dark orbs to stay.

'Pathetic.'

"Well? What do you want?" you snapped, crossing your arms over your chest as you turned your nose up in spite. The man took a deep breath, whether in relief or to calm his anger, you didn't care.

"Princess, I... Would it be alright if I sat with you here?" He timidly asked, a small smile on his lips. It wasn't the same one as before. You raised a brow.

"That's what you came all the way out here for?" You sighed heavily, standing from your seat. "I don't have to time to waste on the likes of you." You began walking away, annoyance rolling off of you in waves.

"No-- Wait!" He grabbed a hold of your wrist, harshly halting your movements. "I just meant that--"

"Don't you get it?" you whipped around, boring your hardened gaze into his own eyes. He flinched at the look. "You are nothing but a burden to me. I want nothing to do with you, and there is nothing you can do to change my mind!" your voice raised with each word, and you caught yourself before it could get any worse.

Taking a deep breath, you yanked your wrist out of his hand.

"I'm giving you one more warning. Leave by morning, if you know what's good for you." You turned away once more.

"...Do you really hate me that much?"

His voice was soft and gentle. No trace of anger was there in his words. Not even sadness. It was an emotion you couldn't quite identify. You turned to look at him. The moon shone down over him, casting a ghostly glow over his face.

He was smiling. Now you knew what it was. It was understanding.

"...I see," he bowed low to you, the same way he did when he first met you. "I bid you a goodnight, Princess. Sleep well."

You had no words. Nothing left your lips, although they were parted. You stared at him for a moment, then you turned and finally walked away. Reaching the steps back up the castle, you paused, the itching urge to look back one more time biting at you, but you fought against it.

You didn't care. You didn't care. You didn't.

The castle was quiet now. Your footsteps didn't bother you this time. The emptiness didn't disturb you this time. Your stomach was no longer churning. All was still. Was it always this quiet?

Reaching your room, you didn't bother to change out of your dress just yet. Instead, you moved towards you tall window in the dark, moving away the thick curtains. You sank to the ground, your skirts flattening out around you like a withering flower. You stared upwards, towards the moon.

A plain white disc in the sky. Greying in some areas. A soft, dark shadow surrounding its edges. The stars couldn't sparkle as bright as the moon. No matter what. The stars that hung in the night sky could never, ever, shine as bright as the moon.

You sat there, nails digging into your upper arms as you lost yourself in thought. The moon rose higher and higher. So many thoughts, and at the same time, nothing at all.

Osomatsu - A Promise I'll Break

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳!𝘖𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘟 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

"What do you think of death?"

The question was very sudden and out of the blue. You snapped your head over to the man beside you, sat casually in his seat with a steaming coffee mug in hand. His eyes, glowing a vibrant green, stared inquisitively at your tense figure as he sipped at his beverage, the skeletal mask that covered his lower face removing itself eerily.

"I...I'm not sure what you mean.." It was the truth. With a being like him asking a question like that, there could be a few dark undertones that you wished not to uncover.

"Well, y'know.." he gestured lazily with his free hand, black mist swirling around him in an unearthly manner. He didn't belong here. "A lot of people seem like their scared of death, finding it to be a horrifying journey that the naked eye can't witness.." he chuckled at that, allowing a shiver to run up your spine, "But sometimes, people see it as a blessing, in a way. A person's spirit can finally leave this world in peace."

He turned his gaze back to you.

"So, what do you think of it?"

You stared adamantly down at your own clear drink. Your fingers were enlarged under the water's image, pressing tightly against the glass. Small bubbles of air filtered around the liquid, rising to the top before bursting all to quickly.

"I'm not sure, sir.. It is true that it can be.. terrifying, staring death in the eyes," you shuddered again, "But I do have hope that there is something waiting for us.. A happier place, maybe."

The man hummed, leaning his head back to the stair at the ceiling, his brown hair flopping back over his scalp. Suddenly, he sat up straight, pointing at you.

"I told you to stop calling me 'sir!" You jolted, carefully manoeuvring your glass so that your water wouldn't spill. "C'mon, what do I have to do to at least get you to call me by my name? It's not hard! Say it with me: O-so-ma-tsu!"

With him being who he was, you would have thought that he would act more mature —wise, even — but he had no such personality traits. He instead acted like a man child in desperate need for attention, specifically from you. You hated it, because it meant you had to see him more often around your workplace, which only served to unnerve you. And he was either oblivious to this, or chose to purposefully ignore it.

You glanced over to the clock, eyes lighting up at the time. You swiftly stood up after swallowing down your glass of water, grabbing your coat and bag from the coatrack.

"You're leaving?" he frowned, swivelling in his chair to watch you. You barely spared him a look, unable to force yourself to stare back into those gleaming green eyes.

"Yes, my shift is over for today."

"Ah, I see... But don't forget!" he called after you before you could leave the room. "We have 'graveyard' shift tomorrow!" he grinned, watching you tense up at the shoulders.

You were outside the room now, facing the empty hallway, except it wasn't empty. Ghostly figures slipped past you every now and then, there skin and clothing wafting through the air like silk, although it wouldn't feel like the material at all, should you touch it. You knew that first hand.

"Safe travels, [Y/N]." was the last words you heard from him that night as you shut the door behind you, clutching at your bag tightly as you wove your way through the hauntingly empty corridors. All you wanted to do was go home.

»»-----　♔　-----««

The air was colder than you had anticipated, your fingers and face feeling numb to the cool night air. You sighed heavily as you finally made it inside the hospital, quickly making your way over to the staff room, where you knew he would be waiting oh-so eagerly for you.

As you turned down a hallway, you came to a sudden stop, barely preventing yourself from crashing into another nurse turning the same corner. You both jumped back with a noise of surprise, wide eyes regarding one another before relaxing.

"Oh, hey [Y/N]," the nurse chuckled, holding a hand to her chest. "You're on duty now?"

You gave no response, staring at something over her shoulder. She raised a brow as all colour seemed to drain itself from your face. "..[Y/N]..? Is everything okay?" she turned her head over her shoulder, frowning as she found nothing there.

But of course she wouldn't see anything. She wasn't born with this curse. She should be grateful, to not be able to see the decaying face of a remaining spirit, hovering over her with its jaw unhinged and eyes filled with nothing but darkness. You bit back the urge to vomit as it raised a rotting hand, shoving its jaw back into place with a sickening crack.

"Uh... Maybe you should get some water. I'll.. see you tomorrow, [Y/N]." The nurse left you quickly, and you knew she was looking back at you with odd glances. She would probably go and tell everyone else what had happened. You could practically hear the conversation already:

'That new girl is so weird, staring at nothing! It's like she's seeing things! She should get herself checked out, maybe she's not all good up there.'

"[Y/N]?"

You jumped, whipping around to find Osomatsu staring at you blankly. His cape-like jacket flowed behind him as he came closer to you, stopping just in front of you. His eyes flickered over your shoulder before returning to you as he tilted his head.

"You good? You were kinda just standing there."

You stammered for a moment, turning to look behind you and, to no surprise of your own, finding no spirit floating there like it was before. You sighed quietly, feeling a headache already coming on.

"I'm.. fine."

"..Good!" he smiled, walking past you with a beckon of his hand, " 'Cuz we have a lot of paperwork to get through and pass out, so let's not waste any time, yeah?"

Of course he wouldn't actually care for your wellbeing. With a twitch of your eye, you begrudgingly followed behind him, keeping your head low and ignoring the want to cover your ears to block out the ugly groans and wails of those others couldn't see. You wished you could be like them.

As soon as you sat down in that swivelling office chair, you willed your mind to switch onto autopilot, wanting to zone out the rest of the night as much as you could and get lost in your work. It would be easier to deal with the terrible hours you were having to endure. But no matter how hard you tried, this particular night seemed to want you completely aware of everything that was going on around you.

You were constantly jumping in your seat as spirit after spirit wandered in and out of the room, their whispering calls and cries for their loved ones ringing in your ears for minutes on end. The temperature in the room seemed to drop lower than room temperature, making you shiver. Not even the steaming mug of coffee beside you warmed you up.

And then, there was Osomatsu, who was supposed to be helping you, but was instead whining about everything that came to his mind, blabbering on non-stop and even snickering at you whenever you had a scare. It irritated you greatly, but you were also afraid. You couldn't exactly say anything back to him — not if you wanted your life ripped from you in the blink of an eye.

Just when you thought you had just about enough of it all, he spoke to you in a more serious tone.

"Y'know, I've heard some things about you."

You froze in your seat. You knew where this was going. This was the absolute last thing you had wanted.

"Well, I heard stuff about you before you even started working here. Word spreads real fast, don't you think?"

You grip on the computer mouse tightened. You needed him to stop. Talking.

"But you know how rumours are. You can't exactly trust them, seeing as how everyone just ends up twisting them to match their own ideals. So I figured I'd just ask you directly — makes things easier."

There was a moments silence, the sound of a chair squeaking beside you as he leaned forward in his seat becoming deafeningly loud in the quiet space.

"I heard that you working here has made it your fourth transfer this month."

"How did you—?"

"They say," he cut you off, cat green eyes locking onto your own coloured orbs as you turned towards him, "That it's because you say you're seeing things. Someone even said it's because you weren't deemed 'suitable' to work at a couple other hospitals. The things that you say you've seen... aren't exactly kid friendly, are they?"

You bit down on your lip hard. His lower face was obscured by that mask again, with its skeletal jaw and raw bone outlining the glow of his eyes dangerously as he grinned, as if he had struck gold. The scythe he always carried was resting across his lap, glinting under the light, a reminder of just how close death was to you.

"I.." Your voice wavered, hesitant to tell the truth, but you knew deep down that he probably already knew it, for a lot longer than you thought he did.

"It's not.. my fault.." you sighed, lowering your face into your hands and digging the heels of your palms into your eyes in a poor attempt to keep your tears at bay, the stress now catching up to you, "I don't want to see these.. these things all the time, but they won't go away.. they're everywhere.."

"What do you see?"

"...I see things like you." Your heart began to pick up speed as it thrummed in your ears, close to bursting as you finally plucked up the courage to speak.

"Things — no, people, that aren't alive anymore. Spirits, spectres, ghosts, whatever you want to call them. And —... And reapers, like you," You shuddered, "I can see it all. Wherever I go, they're always following me.."

Osomatsu still hadn't given you a response, and your worry spiked. You didn't want to open your eyes to witness another angry reaper, ready to chase you out of another job. The last one had almost caught you. You couldn't go through that again.

"I know who you really are, Matsuno," you still refrained from using his 'real' name, "But I swear, I'm not here to get in your way! I'm just here to do my job as a nurse, I want to help people! I don't.. I don't mean to disturb you. So, please... Please don't try to get rid of me. I really need this job.."

"Why would I try to get rid of you?"

You paused.

"The last reaper I ran into.. didn't like me all too much.." you grimaced at the memory. "He thought I was trying to save the souls he had to reap, and he chased me away from the hospital. I can't go back there, even if I wanted to.."

Osomatsu chuckled softly.

"Sounds like little Ichimatsu, alright.." he mumbled to himself, whilst you were too busy staring at him, bewildered that he had just laughed at you. Was this all a joke to him? You really hoped it wasn't.

He leaned back in his seat again, resting his arms behind his head in a relaxed position. Grinning at you, you watched as his mask and dark clothing slowly dissolved away, revealing the usual male nurse uniform that others had always seen, and you had rarely seen on him.

"I had a feeling you were an odd one," he hummed. "Ever since you stepped foot in this place, these old wisps have been gravitating towards you like a magnet."

"I'm sorry," you blurted. "They always seem to attach to me. I don't mean for it to happen—"

"I know, you don't need to start blubbering over it," he raised a hand. "If anything, you always want to just get away from them, and that's enough for me to know that you're not gonna ruin my own little gig I got here, too. So, how about we strike a small deal?"

He held out a gloved hand, still keeping that cattish smile plastered over his lips. You cocked a brow, suspiciously eyeing his outstretched palm.

"You promise to me that you won't get in the way of my 'work'," he used his free hand to make quote marks over the word, "and I'll promise not to mess with you either. Deal?"

"...It's not just you who messes with me here," you reminded him, just in time to catch another spirit wander into the room. It stared at you blankly for a moment, hollow eyes staring deep into your soul, then shifted over to Osomatsu before leaving again.

"Fine," he rolled his eyes as he groaned. "I'll make sure neither I nor the other spirits in this place mess with you. Is that better?"

Something deep in the back of your mind was screaming that it wasn't better. Trusting a reaper of all things was a bad idea, and making a deal with one was even worse. But, as you stared into his gleaming eyes, what choice did you have?

"..Just peachy.." you slipped your hand into his, the cold of his flesh seeping into your warm palm as he shook it twice firmly, his smile widening and showing off his shrunken fangs.

"Y'know, I have a feeling things are gonna get a little more interesting around here, now." You grimaced, snatching your hand away from him.

"I hope not."

"Ugh, you humans are all so boring.." he whined. You ignored him, turning back to your computer. As much as you hated admitting it to yourself, you couldn't deny that the weight on your shoulders had lightened just a small bit, enough for you to breath without having that constricting feeling in your chest.

»»-----　♔　-----««

Osomatsu should have known something was wrong.

A smooth four months had sailed by since your deal, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying your presence more and more as the days went by.

The one day where you didn't come in for work, though, he shrugged it off. Even when he had overheard that you hadn't called in to give any reasoning behind your absence, he didn't think too much of it. Humans were weak things compared to him, after all; if you needed a break, then he wouldn't dwell on it any longer.

That single day turned into two days. Then those two days turned into three days. Then those three days turned into three weeks.

Osomatsu grew more agitated by the day. His mood was visibly worsening, snapping at anyone when they would tell him they didn't know where you were. He didn't understand why he felt that way. He didn't know why he suddenly felt so angry at the fact that he didn't know where you were. The deep pit in his stomach was telling him that something bad had happened. He should be worried.

But why should he be worried? You were a human. You were weaker than him, had less of a lifespan than him, so what if you could see spirits and random shit like he could? He was a reaper, an all powerful being that could suck the soul out of your body with a single tap of his scythe. Why should he care about what's happened to you?

He shoved those feelings deep into the back of his mind, attempting to erase them as quickly as he could. He didn't need these insignificant feelings getting in the way of his work.

It wasn't enough, though.

No one had expected to see you come into his hospital room, wrapped in numerous bandages and heavy casts on your right arm and leg. Your bruised eyes were shut closed as a small patch of stitching made itself clear on your left brow, your breathing deep as if you were simply sleeping, but he knew it was so much more than that.

Just one look, and all those feelings came bursting to the forefront of Osomatsu's mind as he stared at you in bewilderment.

"She came in last night," someone was telling him, but he wasn't focusing on them. "She was taken from her home about a month ago, and was beaten pretty brutally. We're still trying to figure out why and how this has happened, but until she's feeling well enough, she'll be under your care, Matsuno."

Whoever was speaking to him left the room not soon after, leaving you and Osomatsu alone. He was still staring at your battered form, eyes shifting from a muddy brown to a fluorescent green as he eyed the glow around your body. It was flickering, significantly dimmer than the last time he had seen you —back then, you were glowing.

His black clothing slipped itself over his uniform like a shadow, a hood falling low over his forehead as his mask settled onto his lower jaw, lips pressed into a firm line as he grasped his scythe. Stepping towards you, he hovered his scythe over your heart for a moment before shifting the sharpened tip to your temple, tapping it once as the bright hospital room fell away into darkness.

»»-----　♔　-----««

You stared down at the flowing white dress that had draped itself over you. Rubbing the material between your fingertips, you barely acknowledged how soft it felt before letting it fall to your side with a sigh.

The luminosity of your dress was the only thing to stand out in this darkness that surrounded you. You felt as if you had walked in circles trying to figure out where you were, only to realise that you weren't moving at all. It was a perpetual loop, never ending, never beginning.

You sat yourself on the solid ground beneath you, tucking your legs close to your chest as you rested your chin on your knees, arms wrapping around yourself in a feeble attempt at comfort.

You knew what this all meant. Your end was coming soon, and all you could do was wait for that end to come for you. You began to wonder who would come to take you, and a brief image of a familiar face came to mind before you waved it away.

Having him see you as you were now — feeble and vulnerable — was nothing short of humiliating for you. On top of that, you really didn't want his face to be the last thing you would see before you... left. It would only make things harder.

You didn't know if time existed wherever you were, but you felt as if you had sat there for a lifetime, occupying yourself by tracing over the scattered bruises over your exposed arms from your dress. You couldn't feel the pain, but you knew it was there. How long had you endured all of that for? You lost track of the days a long time ago.

The sound of footfalls echoing around you in the vast blank space made you perk up. Not seeing anything to your left or right, you turned around, hand pressing to the cool floor as your breath caught in your throat.

"Had a feeling I would find you here," Osomatsu jested as he stood casually before you, leaning against the mantle of his scythe with his free hand resting in his pocket.

"Are you here to.. take me away?" Your quiet voice amplified itself in the silence, reaching his ears easily. He seemed to contemplate this question, eyes squinting as he peered at you, taking steps towards you before he knelt down in front of you.

"It is my job to do so, but right now..?" He ran a hand through his hair under his hood, chuckling weakly, "I don't know."

You lowered your head, unable to look him in the eyes, now for many different reasons. You flinched at the feeling of his fingers pressing under your chin, lifting your face up to look at him once more as he scrutinised the markings on your face. It became unsettling to watch his face fall blank, a slate of no emotion whilst he gazed at you.

"..I've heard different rumours this time," quoting himself from all this months ago. How you wished to go back to those times. At least it was easier to live than it was now. "Somebody took you, and somebody hurt you." He traced his index finger up, over the curve of your cheek to the arch of your brow, barely brushing over the cut that had rested there. "Who did this to you?"

"I don't know.. They wanted me for my 'gift'.." you spat the word out with a scowl, "But does it matter?" You looked away from him again. "If you're here to take me away, then hurry up and do it already."

"Why are you so eager to end your life here?" Osomatsu tilted his head.

"Because what else do I have out there?!" You yelled in frustration, tears finally rolling down your heated cheeks. "Even if I live, there's not going to be anything waiting for me! Everything keeps getting worse and worse — I can't take it anymore!"

"And yet you're still here."

"Because you won't reap my soul—!"

"Because you still want to live."

He stood up, reaching for your wrists and pulling you up with him. You stuttered as he pressed your firmly against his chest, his hand forcing you to look into his eyes.

"Do you think I just take whatever soul I want whenever I want to?" He huffed a laugh at you, wiping away a fresh tear with the pad of his thumb. "I take souls who are ready and willing to die. And for you, that's not the case. If you were truly willing to die, I would have taken your soul the minute you were brought into this hospital."

Staring up at him, you found it hard to look away a third time. Even as your vision blurred his features together, you could still point out his eyes. You had never noticed how pretty they were like this, glinting like cut jade, shaped and moulded into perfect orbs.

"I know I made a deal to you," he mumbled, eyes half-lidded as he clutched you closer, "But just this once, let me break it. Let me get you out of here."

"...Will you be there when I wake up?"

He laughed louder this time, the vibration of his voice rumbling through his chest.

"I'll be there for as long as you need. Or until you get sick of me."

You let out a watery giggle. You were sure that you were past that stage.

It was odd. A mere few months ago, you had despised being in the presence of this reaper. Yet now, you were clutching onto him tighter than ever as you nodded along to his proposal, wanting nothing more than to drown yourself in his comfort as you found yourself in a hospital room, blinking up at the ceiling.

❀ | ⑤

╔═════ °• ♔ •° ═════╗ 𝐚 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 ╚═════ °• ♔ •° ═════╝

You had received no answer, much to your chagrin, and you were left to pout moodily for the majority of the ride. Your father rambled on and on about how well maintained the forest was. You were sure no one was listening.

The sudden fork in the faded trail was either a good or bad thing, there was no in-between. Pausing in your tracks, your father seemed to contemplate on something rather deeply before turning to you both with a large, suspicious smile. Your hands moved back to your lap quickly.

"It seems that we must part ways here," he caught your glare, and it was then that you knew he wasn't going to back down on this.

"No, we don't need to do that," you began hotly.

"Two horses, two paths. Each of them lead through the forest and back to the stables. It's only natural that we would separate here." He tugged at his steed's reigns, starting down the right pathway. "I'll take the shorter route back; the flat earth allows my horse to run along it faster."

You couldn't get another word in as he promptly sped away, a small dust cloud kicking up beneath the horse's hooves. You were left with the tree's aged silence, the twittering of birds and rustle of leaves keeping you grounded to the present.

"...I don't mean to add to your anger, Princess," Karamatsu started, guiding his horse to the other path, "but I was hoping that we could get some time alone like this."

"And why would you want that?" You huffed. Your brow twitched a fraction as you saw your hands had already planted themselves back onto his torso as the animal moved.

"So that I am able to answer your questions." He turned his head back to you with a smile, the sunlight filtering through the trees illuminating his upper face brightly. You were getting sick of the world painting him to be some kind of ethereal being. He was a good-for-nothing prince. Nothing more.

"Then answer them," you snarled without thinking twice about it. He nodded in agreement, turning back to focus on navigating his way through the earthy terrain, watching out for the large tree roots breaking through the dirt.

"What was the point of those flowers?"

A small silence came over Karamatsu as he furrowed his thick brows, ordering his frantic thoughts together. He wanted to answer the honest truth, but he also knew that your temper was akin to very fragile glass — touch too hard, even just a gentle brush, and the results could be shattering. Or, it wouldn't fall apart, and you wouldn't be frustrated. For a moment, his mind wandered to his younger brother. Your personalities were quite similar.

"Originally, there wasn't a point to the flowers," his words were slow and cautious, carefully putting them together as he finally came to a decision.

"I had heard in the early hours of the morning that you still hadn't awoken, and so I took a stroll around your palace garden. I've never seen such beautifully groomed blossoms before. Truly a spectacle, and I expected nothing less of this flourishing kingdom.

"It was then that I saw the hyacinths. In my kingdom, these flowers are already rare to find, and so upon seeing their vibrant colour, I couldn't help but be reminded of you."

You blinked owlishly at the back of his head.

"Rare beauty. That was my first impression of you when I first stepped out of my carriage. And, despite what you may think, our exchange under the moon's gaze did not change my perspective of you, Princess."

You were in disbelief. He must be more delusional than you thought.

"I had wanted to give you the flowers as a token to your beauty, until the one who handed me the flowers told me something interesting: the flower's meaning. I knew then that I had to give them to you, and hoped that you would understand."

...

"... You still haven't answered my question." Karamatsu stilled at your flat tone. Devoid of emotion. It was unsettling, hearing it from you. "Why are you sorry?"

"Ah, because.." he sighed heavily. "Because ever since I stepped foot here, I've caused you nothing but distress and despair. I have a feeling that you felt this way ever since our engagement was announced, too."

The forest ambiance had grown quieter. It was as if the birds had never been there at all. The sun still shone down from above, rays of sunlight lighting the way forward. The pathway curved behind the frame of a tall, wise oak tree. You were unable to see beyond it. Whatever lay ahead of you was a mystery.

"So, I apologise, Princess [Y/N]. For not being the man you had been waiting for."

"I still don't get it."

"..Come again?"

"I don't get why you're apologising. To me."

Your fingers tightened around the fabric of his shirt. Even through the clothing, you could feel that he was warm, radiating a subtle heat against your hands. You concentrate on that, hoping the tightness in your throat would go away.

"What's the point in you apologising when you haven't —" you bit your tongue, quickly rephrasing your wording, "—when you know, that nothing's going to change? Why waste your time trying to appease me?"

Rounding the large trunk, the trees ahead of you began forming a kind of leafy archway, leading to an opening out of the forest.

"I've always believed that people can change, no matter who they are," Karamatsu responded firmly. "Even though it may not seem like, the changes a person can go through can bring out such wondrous beauty. I wish to see it, if you will allow me to."

Light beamed down on the both of you as you broke through the forest finally, blinding you for a moment. Rubbing at your eyes, you slowly opened them up, sucking in a sharp breath at the sight around you.

Dazzling, bright Cala lilies flowed like a white sea with the wind, fields of them stretching for miles, as far as the eye could see. Amongst them were clusters of daisies, small and dainty petals that seemed to dance to an unheard tune.

You had never seen this field before. Never had you seen such an abundance of flowers blooming so elegantly like this. It was a sight that made your eyes widen in an almost child-like wonder. A part of you wished to jump off of your seat and run into the field, dancing along with the flowers.

"I've never seen these flowers before!" Karamatsu exclaimed excitedly. He had stopped his horse altogether, admiring the view with you. You tore your gaze away to look at him, his wide smile spreading from cheek to cheek, and his eyes sparkling in awe. He was practically glowing.

"What are they?" He turned to you.

"Cala lilies."

"I never knew lilies could take such a shape." He suddenly shifted in his seat, carefully swinging a leg over the side of the horse and jumping down onto the pathway. You watched as he strolled over to the flowers, a finger delicately stroking at its petals.

Your hands began to feel clammy. Sometimes, you cursed yourself for your expansive knowledge. An image of a textbook filtered into your mind, and you bit at your lip out of habit.

White Cala lilies. Daisies, too.

It was all just a coincidence. It had to be.

After all, you were too far gone to be given the chance to change.

𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦

𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗜𝗡𝗚: 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙮 - 𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙯 ı𝗹ıı𝗹ıı𝗹ıı𝗹ıı𝗹ıı𝗹ı ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ : ▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮ 𝟬:𝟬𝟭 ─●──────── 𝟯:𝟮𝟵 ◁          𝗜𝗜          ▷

꒷⏝꒦⏝꒷⏝꒦⏝꒷꒷⏝꒦⏝꒷⏝꒷

𝙲𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚞 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚘 -𝘈𝘒𝘈- 𝗖𝗘𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗨𝗡𝗚 ❝𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒚,

𝙾𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚞 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚘 -𝘈𝘒𝘈- 𝗛𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗖𝗨𝗡𝗚 𝑻𝒓𝒚𝒏𝒂' 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆.

𝙺𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚞 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚘 -𝘈𝘒𝘈- 𝗟𝗔𝗔𝗠𝗖𝗨𝗡𝗚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒎𝒆,

𝙸𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚞 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚘 -𝘈𝘒𝘈- 𝗭𝗜𝗖𝗨𝗡𝗚 𝑻𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒐.

𝙹𝚢𝚞𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚞 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚘 -𝘈𝘒𝘈- 𝗪𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗖𝗨𝗡𝗚 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒃 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒈,

𝚃𝚘𝚍𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚞 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚘 -𝘈𝘒𝘈- 𝗧𝗢𝗨𝗖𝗨𝗡𝗚 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒐𝒓.

[𝐘/𝐍] [𝐋/𝐍]

𝑰𝒕 𝒂𝒊𝒏'𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒕, 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉.❞

❛𝑨 𝒇𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈_𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒔❜ 月

[ 1. ]

Dark. Everything was so dark.

Your eyes felt heavy as you tried to pry them open. You blinked the bleariness away, but it did nothing to remove the pitch black surrounding you.

Shifting around, you tried to bring your arms up to your face, only to discover that you couldn't move them. Furrowing your brows, your tugged your arms upwards, and it was then that you felt a harsh burn around your wrists. You twisted them, the rough material binding you rubbing away at your skin.

Was that... rope?

Slowly, your senses came back to you, all fatigue now gone from your system as panic began to take over.

You shuffled your legs next, only to find them bound to the legs of whatever chair you were sat on, ankles crossed over each other and a pressure on your thighs telling you that there was no way you could move.

As your breathing began to pick up pace, you tried to remember how you got into this situation in the first place, but there was nothing that could have lead to such a situation. You drew up blank after blank.

Struggling against the rope bindings once more, you felt the sensation of some material against your neck and shoulders. A bag had been placed over your head, obscuring your view.

Without the use of your hands, there wasn't any way you'd be able to get that thing off of your head. You wiggled your fingers experimentally, wincing at their stiffness. They went numb for a moment, but as the blood circulated back into them, you stretched them upwards towards the knitted rope just above your palms. Unfortunately, the rope was too high up you for to reach.

You desperately willed your fingers to reach higher, feeling the rope brush just above your fingertips, the strain on them causing your hand to cramp up. Your throat tightened, tears of frustration and fear filling the corners of you eyes.

What was happening? Why were you here? Were you going to die here? You didn't want to die. Not yet, not here, not like this.

But as your life flashed before your eyes, you had a sudden thought.

'Maybe it won't be so bad.. to die now.'

It's not like you had anyone waiting for you. It's not like you were going to do anything worthwhile with your life. So what was the point? Maybe you should just accept this. You were going to die here. So what? Who would care?

A loud bang of a door hitting a wall made you jolt violently. You whipped your head around in a dumb attempt to see what had made that sound, then froze at the sound of heavy footsteps heading towards you.

You held your breath when the steps stopped, right in front of you.

"She's awake, boss."

A man's voice. Deep and raspy. You didn't know who he was.

"Let's take a look at her then."

Another man. Slightly higher pitched, and a lot less intense. He sounded very calm. You didn't know who he was, either.

You flinched at the feeling of a hand near your neck. It pulled the bag off of you in one swift movement. Your hair fell over your face in a mess, and you took deep breaths of fresh air. You flinched again as a hand cupped your chin, slowly raising your face and brushing the hair away from your eyes.

The man had blonde hair and steely grey eyes. He was smiling at you. The way it looked on his face whilst he gazed at your face and body, the single light in the room shining down on him from above, made you sick. There was something about him that made your blood run cold, and he hadn't even done anything to you yet.

"Good job," he chuckled to the other man, who had moved to the corner of the room by the door. He was very tall, with a strong chest and arms bulging with muscle. His eyes were narrow and stern, boring into you. It made you shiver unpleasantly.

"You cold?" The blonde asked, not waiting for an answer as he stood up. "Sorry, sweetheart, but you're gonna have to stay in here for a little longer. If you cooperate well with us, though, I might just let you up into my office instead."

His grin was sleazy and dangerous. You hated it. Your lips began to tremble the more you looked at him. You couldn't speak, your throat was too dry.

The two of you stared at one another for a silent minute, waiting. But you did nothing, and neither did he.

Finally, he sighed, rolling his eyes as he looked away from you.

"Suit yourself." He made his way over to the door, stopping to speak to the tall man. "Just make sure she doesn't try to escape. Those idiots will be here soon."

He glanced back at you one more time, chuckling to himself.

"Who knows, maybe you could make a new friend, Jack. What's your name, again?"

They were both looking at you expectantly. They wanted you to speak? How could you do that? You found yourself petrified, unable to move. Your entire body was shaking.

"Hey."

A large hand grasped at your hair, tugging you upwards harshly. You screamed at the unexpected pain, whimpering as the tall man, Jack, held your face close to his.

"He asked you a question. Fucking answer it."

The blonde leaned against the door frame, almost bored. As if he had seen this a million times before. He showed you no remorse. For a moment you thought, if he were to watch you die, right here and right now, he probably wouldn't even bat an eyelid.

It was then that you realised.

You stuttered out your name, your voice watery as tears pricked your eyes. Jack released his hold on you, your head falling back down heavily. You let it hang low, your hair covering your face once again. He retreated away from you, standing outside the door with the blonde.

"My offer still stands. You either rot away in here, where you're probably going to get killed anyway, or you could come up with me." It was his turn now to take hold of your hair, albeit a lot gentler than before. He looked you in the eyes, stroking your cheek with his right hand.

"All you have to do is be obedient. Then your life will be easy. I'll give you all the money in the world in exchange for your body whenever I call. Sounds good, right?"

"..."

"Speak up, doll. Can't hear you."

"...N-No.."

You head was snapped to the right as a heavy blow connected with your cheek. You cried out in shock, eyes wide as the weight of the punch settled into your skin. The entire left side of your face throbbed uncomfortably, your teeth feeling weird and numb.

"Stupid bitch," he massaged his knuckles with his fingers. "You wanna die here, huh? Then go ahead. Be my guest," he spat, turning on his heel and leaving the room. Jack shut the door behind the man, turning to you. Shadows fell over his eyes as he closed in on you, cracking his knuckles loudly as he reeled his arm back.

You didn't move. Your whole body felt paralysed. The pain had swelled to your head now, your brain throbbing dully behind your eyes. The tears had fallen, but you didn't remember when. They streamed down your cheeks and onto the cold ground, pattering softly.

How had this happened? Why you?

You took it back. You took it all back.

'I don't want to die.'

——————☠︎——————

"This is his top secret hideout?" Osomatsu raised a brow, staring up at the abandoned office tower.

"It's surprisingly gone under the radar for a while now," Todomatsu replied, brushing his hair out of his eyes as he followed his brother's gaze. "He's still stupid to think that we wouldn't find it, though."

"That's because he wants us to find it." Choromatsu stood to Osomatsu's left, busy loading his bullets into his pistol, pulling the metal with ease. "Reznov knows what he's doing. So we need to be careful."

"Ichimatsu," Osomatsu pressed two fingers against his small earpiece, glancing to his side as he addressed his younger brother. "Have you got any visuals on him yet?"

"His office is right in my sights, but the bastard has yet to show up."

"Then he's probably with the hostage. Damn it, how did we let him slip away with that?" the eldest hissed through his teeth.

"Something's off about the place," Ichimatsu added. "I'll keep an eye out."

Choromatsu sighed heavily, tugging at the collar of his uniform. The suit was always so stuffy, and always got in his way. He hoped it wouldn't slow him down any further.

The distant sound of metal clanging to the ground caught the brother's attention. Not soon after, Karamatsu spoke through the earpiece.

"We've located the entrance. Heading in now."

"How many goons are there?"

"A lot more than we had initially thought, but it's nothing we can't handle."

"Osomatsu-niisan!" Jyushimatsu called suddenly. He hummed, a knowing grin forming on his lips.

"Do I get to kill 'em?"

Osomatsu laughed loudly, his two brothers grinning at the question.

"Go for it."

A series of muffled yells and thwacks filtered through the earpiece before it fell silent, leaving the duo to get to work. Choromatsu loosened the tie around his neck slightly before taking the first step forward, his pistol clutched tightly in his hands.

"Let's get this over with," his eyes narrowed up towards the building, the gloom and dread of something awful washing over him, but not once did it deter him from his path.

——————☠︎——————

A rough cough shook your body, blood dripping from your lip down to your ruined clothing. You heaved heavily as you hunched over in your seat, pain flooding your entire body with each pulse of your heart.

How long had it been? How many hits did you take? When will it end?

Someone's hand clasped itself around your neck, pushing your face upwards while you choked for air. Air left your lungs in meagre wheezes, shaky and uneven. You peered through your heavy eyes up at Jack, who only smirked at your obvious agony.

"This should be enough, don't you think?" he sneered, pushing your neck up higher. You gagged, flailing helplessly in his hold, your arms and legs writhing underneath the binds that had rubbed your skin raw. He held you there for a moment, the smirk stretching wider as he watched you struggle before suddenly releasing you, your head falling harshly as he left you to cough and hack for air.

Your ears were ringing, your mind distorted as you could no longer understand what was happening to you. Why was he hurting you? What did you do wrong? Your busted lips quivered as you pried them open, the dry skin sticking together slowly being pulled apart. You rasped weakly, the tight burn of your throat allowing fresh hot tears to run down your swollen cheek.

The man didn't listen to you. He couldn't hear your begs any longer.

A faint buzzing reverberated around the room. Jack paused, reaching for the back pocket of his jeans to pull out his phone, holding the sleek model up to his ear, not once moving his eyes off of you.

"What?" he grunted, not appreciating that his time was being wasted. However, he would quickly learn that it wasn't being wasted. Shouting could be heard through the speakers, frantic and desperate. Jack's brows furrowed, leaning into the phone.

"What the fuck are you talking about? What's—"

The line fell silent.

He stared at the phone's black screen. For the first time, Jack felt uneasy. Gritting his teeth, he was about to put his phone away before it began ringing again, a familiar name rolling across the top in large letters.

"Boss? What's going on?" He snapped his head towards the door, hearing a sudden series of pops going off just outside the room.

"I told you they were comin' didn't I?" the voice on the other end chuckled, sounding very at ease. "Everything is going according to plan, so relax."

"But, boss! Our men are dying out there—!"

"When has that ever been a problem to me before?"

A heavy tension fell onto the man's face as he became quiet. With a sigh, the voice spoke again.

"Listen. They finished rigging up the building. Just hurry up and get your ass outta there before it's blasted sky high. I won't be waiting any longer. Understand?"

"..Yes, boss."

"Good."

"What about the hostage?"

"What about her?" The voice cackled. "That bitch can die with them. What use is she to us?"

"But what if—"

"Do you seriously think she's gonna make it out alive?" Jack stilled at the cold tone, menacing and threatening. "This place is going to blow up. I know you're an idiot, Jack, but think for a fucking second. And what's she gonna do, anyway? Report us to the police? The fuck's that gonna do?"

He pursed his lips, raging embarrassment swirling inside of him.

"Fuck's sake.." the voice sighed faintly, the line going dead once more. Jack growled under his breath, flickering his eyes towards the door as the cracks of gunfire became significantly louder before turning back to you. You flinched under his stare, eyes squeezing shut as you braced yourself for another hit with a whimper.

Yet, the hit never came. A breeze swept by your left as he walked past you, focusing instead on the large rucksack that was placed against the wall behind you. He picked it up and hastily secured it around his shoulders, clicking a small clip along his chest to keep it in place. Patting the pistol in his belt just to make sure it was there, he set his eyes on the covered window in the corner of the room.

All you could hear was his heavy footsteps against the solid ground behind you and more gunfire, mixed with the occasional scream and shallow thud of something hitting the floor. Your body began to tremor violently with every bullet sent off. They were getting louder and louder, closer and closer. Your heart thudded painfully in your chest. The taste of iron was still on your tongue. You briefly wondered how much more you would have to taste before this was all over.

The door was suddenly smashed open, scattering along the floor and bouncing off of the walls in shattered pieces, a few bits scraping the skin of your cheek. You screamed at the deafening sound, shoulders tensing up to your jaw.

A fistful of your hair was yanked backwards, a cold metal pushing against your temple. You choked out a sob, blinking through the tears as you were forced to look at the intruder.

"Take another step, and I'm blasting her fucking brains in!" Jack bellowed into your ear, your headache increasing tenfold. His breaths were heavy and hot against the side of your bloodied cheek, making you squirm uncomfortably.

The dust settled, and behind it stood five figures. They had very similar faces — you thought they were identical but with your thoroughly rattled brain, you weren't too sure. Each of them had guns seemingly aimed towards you, their dark eyes glaring holes into the man keeping you hostage.

"Where's Reznov?" The man in the middle spoke first, flexing his fingers tightly against his weapon.

"As if I'd tell you shit," Jack sneered.

"Then we'll find someone who will."

It all happened in the blink of an eye. There was a deafening crack, a high pitched scream cancelling out every other noise around you. You didn't know who screamed.

Then there was the blood, splattering across your face and hair, warm and sticky, and most definitely not yours.

Your mouth was open, but you didn't know what you were saying, or if you were even talking at all. Everything you could see was doubled, the same item phasing over the other again and again, fuzzy and disorientating.

"Nice shot, Ichimatsu," Karamatsu hummed, only to receive multiple curses.

"Holy shit, what did they do to her?" Todomatsu mumbled to himself as he began cutting at the ropes binding you down. He sounded like he was underwater, far away and echoed. You wanted to reach out and find that voice. But you couldn't move despite your bonds being removed. Your eyes felt so heavy, a dark veil slowly inching its way over your vision.

As soon as they were loosened, your body slumped forward, close to hitting the ground if not for the pair of strong arms catching you. Choromatsu grunted at the sudden weight, although he proceeded to easily scoop your battered form into his chest, hooking an arm under your knees and providing support for your lolling head.

"We'll have Ichimatsu treat her once we get back," Karamatsu winced slightly at the welts covering your arms.

"That bastard got away again..!" Osomatsu groaned, running a hand through his dishevelled hair, the strands falling out of their gelled style. "Now we have to look for him all over again!"

"Don't worry, it'll probably be easy, knowing that guy. We just have to do it fast," Todomatsu assured, already tapping away at his phone.

"Let's just get out of here first," Choromatsu gestured to your weak self with a nod of his head, turning to head out when Jyushimatsu stopped them.

"I can smell something weird.." they looked a him with raised brows. That was never usually a good sign. His eyes were cat-like, wide and blank as he sniffed at the air again.

"What... What is it?" Karamatsu asked cautiously. A few seconds of silence more before Jyushimatu's mouth widened into a large, strained smile, sweat now running down his skin.

"Bombs!"

"Fucking shit! Seriously?!" Osomatsu yelled as they all began sprinting down the corridors, jumping over the dead carcasses they had left in their rampage.

"Now it makes sense why he chose the highest floor to put her in — he's gonna blast us to bits!"

"How long do we have?" Choromatsu looked to his younger brother, hope faltering as he saw Jyushimatsu's smile widen, pinching his cheeks.

"Not long! Maybe.. just under two minutes!"

"We're not gonna make it down all these stairs!" Todomatsu screamed frantically.

"Yes, we will!" Osomatsu pressed his earpiece. "Ichimatsu! Get the car ready — we need to leave now!"

".. M'kay."

The brothers reached the fire exit stairwell, jumping down large chunks of steps with practised ease, pushing each other to go faster. Choromatsu held you tightly against him as he went, making sure his grip on you wouldn't allow you to slip and fall.

Bursting through the front entrance of the building, they began speeding across the empty lot as fast as they're numbing legs would carry them, cursing as Jyushimatsu got down to the sixty-second mark.

A black car had just rolled up to the gates, doors opening automatically as Ichimatsu leaned out the driver's window, watching as his brothers clambered into the car. Choromatsu got in last, laying your body across his and Karamatsu's lap as he slammed the door shut.

"Go, go! Quick!" Osomatsu wheezed, attempting to catch his breath. Ichimatsu immediately slammed his foot on the gas, the car wheels squealing before it ran down the empty streets, curving round the corners at dangerous angles.

Ichimatsu didn't slow down, barely flinching as the building exploded, shaking the ground as clouds of fire and debris filled the skies. The others peered through the back window, no longer able to see the tall building as it had crumbled to the earth.

"Holy fuck.." Osomatsu breathed, finally relaxing in his seat as best he could with his minor injuries and Ichimatsu's reckless driving. His brothers did the same, wiping the sweat from their brows. Karamatsu carefully readjusted your legs that were placed across his lap, grimacing once more at the sight of the large patches of purple and crimson blood across your skin.

Choromatsu brought out his handkerchief from his breast pocket, gingerly dabbing it over the cuts on your face, frowning deeply as the cuts wouldn't stop running. Catching sight of your right wrist, he saw how it was raw and inflamed, your hand twisted in an unnatural way, as well as your shoulder that seemed to sag in its place.

He wrapped his handkerchief around your wrist, hoping it would provide some kind of support. You looked so frail, your features barely visible under the drying iron caking your face. An anger swelled inside of him that he never felt before, and he was left to clench his fists tightly whilst the car sped onward, unable to do anything.

[ 2. ]

Ichimatsu shut the door behind him with a sigh, removing his gloves and tossing them into a trash can nearby. He rubbed at the back of his neck, half-lidded eyes glancing back to the door briefly before turning away.

"How'd it go?" Osomatsu had seated himself in his chair, watching his younger brother lean on the wall across from him. Karamatsu was sat to his right, and Choromatsu to his left, both equally curious as to how the treatment had gone.

"..She's all patched up."

"...That's it?" Choromatsu deadpanned. "That's all you're gonna tell us?"

"How is her condition?" Karamatsu rephrased. "What are her injuries?"

Ichimatsu shoved his hands into his pockets, gaze stuck to the ground. A familiar ginger cat slinked into the room, twisting itself around his legs before settling down beside him. The comfort of a close friend made Ichimatsu feel slightly more at ease.

"Her right wrist is sprained, and her left shoulder was dislocated," the brothers winced, "Luckily, she didn't get any broken ribs, but she was probably close to it. She's got bruises and swelling, mostly around her neck and upper body, and skin burns from the rope. Her lip's busted, too, so it's got some stitching. And..."

He cut himself off with another sigh, shuffling his feet around. Osomatsu raised a brow, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

"And' what? What else is there?"

The silence was tense, and much too long for the men to sit through. Choromatsu's leg began to bounce slightly as he waited for an answer, his patience wearing thinner by the second.

Ichimatsu fiddled with his earring, flicking the golden hoop a few times before running his hand through his curvy locks.

"She's.. also got loads of scars. They ain't fresh, either."

"Scars..? From what?" Karamatsu pushed. Ichimatsu only shrugged.

"Dunno. But there's a shit tonne on her back. Big ones."

The brothers looked at each other wearily, unsure of how to react. It was already bad enough that you had been taken hostage and beaten to near death, but now this?

Osomatsu stood up suddenly, eyes closed in thought.

"Well, it's not like any of us don't have scars. So it's not a big deal."

"Osomatsu.." Karamatsu sighed. Sometimes, his brothers didn't realise how insensitive they could be.

"Whenever she wakes up, let one of us know, it doesn't matter who," he continued, nodding to Ichimatsu. "We'll get the questions out of the way so that she can rest."

Grunting in affirmation, Ichimatsu headed towards his small tray of medical supplies, moving them towards a sink in order to clean off the blood. Your blood. Osomatsu left, and Karamatsu followed not soon after, wanting to take a breather out on the balcony.

"..You're still here."

The statement caught Choromatsu off guard for a second, but he quickly regained his composure. He raised a brow to his younger brother, leaning back into his chair and whipping out his phone to go through absentmindedly.

"Yeah." He replied shortly, leaving no room for argument as he focused back onto his phone, scrolling through random social media and notifications. Ichimatsu glared at him before going back to his task.

Choromatsu glanced at the door. You were behind it, laying on a bed, sleeping soundly through the pain. For now.

The same feeling as before came bubbling up to his throat, filling his senses with a sort of worrying feeling. He grit his teeth tightly. If he was being honest, he didn't like this feeling. Not one bit. Ever since he laid eyes on your broken form, the feeling wouldn't go away.

This was bad. Very bad.

And yet, he stayed in his seat. Waiting for you to wake up so that he could see you first.

——————☠︎——————

[ —

You were remembering a time where the sun was bright, and the grass beneath your fingers was a vivid green. There were mumbled words echoing around you, and you looked towards the hazy sky, a plain azure stretching as far as the eye could see.

There was a ball in your small hands. Its canary yellowed stripes across the white background gleamed brighter the longer you stared in confusion, unsure of what you were supposed to do with it.

Your name was called, distorted and far away, carrying itself in the wind until it reached your ears. It was telling you to throw the ball towards them. Somewhere ahead of you. The sunlight reflected into your eyes, removing your ability to see who was there.

But you threw it anyway, putting all your strength into your arms, eyes screwed shut in determination. There was the sound of the hollow, plastic ball bouncing along the ground until it came to a stop. There was laughter, drifting further away from you. Your lower lip curled into a pout — why couldn't you see where it was coming from?

' You did so well! '

Where had you heard that voice before?

' Come here, throw it again, sweetheart! '

Okay, you thought to respond. You felt the buzz of words on the tip of your tongue, however your mouth failed to move. Regardless, your stubby legs stumbled forward, arms reaching out to grasp at whatever had hidden itself behind the veil of light, fingers curling and unfurling around nothing but air. The sky was fading into a pure white, obscuring your view, yet you pressed onwards.

You were becoming desperate now, calling out for whoever was there. Their name was on your lip, resting right on the edge, you knew it, but it didn't fall. Your throat was tightening as tears of frustration welled in the corners of your eyes. The luminosity was becoming blinding, and the grass no longer tickled at your skin. Your eyes fell closed as you felt the warmth of the sun dissipate, the air becoming colder and more frigid.

Where was the voice? Where was it? Where?

Silence greeted you as an old friend. You found yourself unable to move, arms stuck to your sides and legs tucked under you as they became numb. You had opened your eyes and you still found darkness. Your heart dropped into the pit of your stomach, thundering against your body as you held your breath.

You were sure you had called out for that voice. There was no response. There was never a response.

A deafening clang of metal sounded from behind you, and your heart had now leapt to your throat, mixed with a sickening concoction of bile that threatened to spill if it was pushed just enough.

Deep footsteps, weighted and unwavering. They rounded your left, stopping in front of you, too close for you to be comfortable with. The muddied boots that were now in your vision suddenly and unexplainably terrified you. What could be so frightening about a pair of boots?

And then, when an unforgiving hand grasped at your strands and lifted your face upward ever so slowly, you realised. For it wasn't the boots that terrified you, but the one who was wearing them.

You were sure that the bloodied smirk on the face in the shadows was the last thing you would see before death became permanently splintered across your cheek.

— ]

Your cheek throbbed painfully as you snapped your eyes open, pupils contracting dangerously thin as they darted around the unfamiliar room.

A cold sweat had made itself known as you shuddered, coating your skin in goose-bumps whilst your tried to find your bearings.

That same light bore down on your eyes painfully, the burn making you flinch to keep your eyes closed, but you knew you had to keep them open. You had to know where you were. You had to know what was going on.

Willing the fog of confusion to remove itself from your mind was no easy feat, and the heavy breaths that left your chest heaving made you all the more lightheaded. Your vision began to blur, your teeth gritting in shame. You hated crying. You didn't want to cry anymore. Tears, however, have minds of their own, and they made that clear as they traversed down your temple and clung to your hair, some even making it down to your lip, the twinge of salt making you grimace.

It hurt to breath. Every inch of your body felt as if it were on fire, prickling and feverish, in desperate need of relief. Your parched throat begged for a sip of water, but your arms were still restricted from movement. Your left arm in particular felt rigid, with only your fingers being just about moveable.

Sudden flashes of memory that supposedly lead you to your current position appeared before your eyes. The gruesome feeling of bones cracking and blood bursting from your torn skin made you squirm. You didn't want to go through that again. You would do anything to not go through that again.

The room around you was morphed and irregular, the double vision that swirled your eyes together faintly fading in and out. You could barely make out the shape of the rectangular door in the far right corner of the room, it's golden handle glinting ahead of you.

It was then that you heard the numerous garbled voices sounding from the other side of the door. With each pump of your heart, they got closer and closer, your panic increasing at the thought of whoever it was entering the room.

It was too late, though. The handle had already begun to turn, the small crack between the doorframe growing larger, enabling the voices to now be heard clearer in your ears.

There were three men, none of them looking your way as they seemed too preoccupied in the conversation they were having. A small whimper escaped your throat at the sight of unfamiliar people coming close to you, and you struggled harder to move away from them, knowing all too well that you wouldn't be moving anywhere.

You came to an immediate halt as their heads turned to you synchronously, watching you with slight surprise in their eyes.

They hadn't expected you to be awake so soon. Taking your dishevelled appearance — from the tangled mess of hair on your scalp to your torn clothing and bandaged limbs — one man stepped forward and away from his small group. He slowed his movements upon seeing your chest rapidly rising and falling, your swollen lower lip wobbling with worry.

Your mind vaguely registered the gentle smile he gave you, raising his hands in surrender. Your eyes trailed down the beginnings of a blue scale-like tattoo on his upper arms, disappearing under the black shirt he wore before reappearing on his exposed chest.

"We aren't here to hurt you, my dear."

His tone was low, gently reverberating through your nerves. The soothing baritone in his voice calmed you for a short second, and you watched as he crept closer to your bedside, not stopping until he hovered over you. His dark eyed swept over your injuries, thick brows furrowing as he looked back into your eyes.

"Do you remember your name, flower?" Lowering his voice to a murmur, he waited patiently for an answer. You cast your sight towards the other two men in the room, who were stood silently by the door, watching you. One of them appeared to be scowling at the man beside you, whilst the other crossed his arms over his chest, fingers tapping impatiently against his bicep. He caught your eye before turning away, the frown on his lips tightening further.

Speaking was a difficult task in itself. Your throat was parched, leaving your tongue dry and voice croaky. You stammered your name out as clearly as you could with a small nod of your head, shuddering pained gasps as your lips ached with each formation of words.

The man's smile returned, relief evident on his face as he moved away from you. He wasn't speaking to you now, but to the men at the door.

"I feel it would be best to sit her up," he gestured to the bed you lay in.

"...Don't put too much pressure onto her." The man with his curling locks tied back into a messy ponytail and tired eyes mumbled brief instructions, not making a move to leave his spot. The man beside him sighed with a tut, grumbling as he made his way to the left side of your bed.

You eyed him warily, looking back to the tattooed-man for reassurance.

"You're safe here, darling. No harm will come to you here," he spoke to you whilst manoeuvring his larger hands under your back from the left. "We only wish to help you."

The sincerity in his words rolled over like honey, oozing sweet kindness and glowing golden. Tears sprung to your eyes once more — you could trust this man.

Once they had you sat up (with only a small amount of struggle to not hurt your further), a glass of water was held close to your lips, the tattooed-man urging you to take a sip. You wrapped your lips around the rim of the glass hesitantly, but as soon as the first drop of cool water fell down your throat, you began gulping down the drink in one go, desperate for that cooling relief on your throat and mind.

The man settled the glass down on the bedside table before taking a seat in an empty chair behind him, crossing one leg over the other as he took a deep breath.

"[L/N] [Y/N]," he began. You looked over to him in worry, his serious tone making you expect the worst. "If it's alright with you, we would like to ask you a few questions."

...Questions? You tilted your head slightly, shuffling your back against the large fluffy pillows resting behind you.

"About what..?" Your voice was doing a lot better than before, still holding a slight rasp in your words. You cleared your throat as discreetly as you could, unable to cover your mouth as your arms felt so heavy.

"About the events you have just been through. You do remember what happened to you, yes?"

The very mention of recalling such memories made you visibly shudder. Nodding hesitantly, you concluded that you couldn't exactly get out of this. You were stuck there until they decided to let you go, and until then, you would just have to go along with what they asked.

'Who knows what will happen if I don't listen..' you thought, an undertone if bitterness lacing into your mind.

"Before we begin, I believe introductions are in order." He placed a hand over his chest, bowing his head politely. "My name is Laamcung. Pleasure to meet you, my sweet." The continuous use of pet names baffled you, unsure as to why he kept using them on you, but you brushed it aside for the sake of not pissing him off.

There was a moment silence before Laamcung sighed. He pointedly looked towards the other two men by the door, who rolled their eyes at him.

"Ceoicung." The man wearing a black V-neck t-shirt quickly spat his name out, not even bothering to look at you. The one beside him, with the curly hair and golden hoop in his ear, seemed to shrink into himself as all eyes turned to him. He appeared to want to be anywhere but in that room.

"...Zicung.." you were barley to catch his name with how low he had mumbled it. Laamcung sighed, smiling apologetically to you.

"My apologies, dearest. My brothers aren't exactly the best at formal introductions, but I assure you, they are nicer than they appear to be."

You didn't entirely believe him, but it was better to nod along and not question anything at all. You briefly acknowledged the fact that they were brothers, realising that it only made sense, seeing as they had very similar faces. Triplets weren't too uncommon.

Laamcung readjusted his legs, switching from his right leg resting over his left to his left over his right, pressing his hands over the curve of his knee.

"I understand that you may not feel comfortable recalling such events," Laamcung began, "But I must ask you to tell us what happened. From before you were kidnapped to when you know it ended, and anything that you think could have lead to you being a target. All of this information is vital, angel, so I must implore that you tell us everything that comes to mind."

The pressure placed back onto you mentally was heavy. He was right, it was going to be extremely uncomfortable for you to talk. You didn't know if you could do it.

"..Hey. We don't have all day."

Zicung's rough growl of annoyance made you shrivel up, forcing yourself to swallow your nerves so as not to tick him off.

"Zicung." Laamcung sent him a stern glare, silencing his brother with a word of warning. You saw Ceoicung dig an elbow into the man's rib, keeping him quiet. "Take your time, [L/N]. Ignore him, there's no rush."

Nevertheless, you wanted to get this over and done with. Forcing yourself to take a deep breath, you kept your eyes glued to your left arm, apparently finding the sling and bandage around the limb to be very interesting as you spoke.

"I don't know how I got there... Nothing out of the ordinary has happened before I was t-taken, so I don't know what could have led to this happening.." you furrowed your brows. It was the truth, and the more you thought back on the day before your kidnapping, the more you became confused. Why were you a target? Was it because you were an easy catch? Was it because you were a nobody, so it wouldn't cause a big fuss? Why, out of the thousands of people in Cekcung, were you taken away from your normal life and thrown into this hell?

"All I know is that I went to bed like I always do, and the next time I woke up, I wasn't at home anymore."

The three brothers glanced at one another. It all sounded like a simple coincidence, then, that you had been a victim to their enemy, Reznov. But if they knew the sly man, then they knew that it was anything but a coincidence. He always had a motive, whether it was complex or downright stupid, it didn't matter to him — a motive was a motive.

"Has anything happened to you throughout this week, then? Or even before that?"

"..I'm sorry, I don't really understand what you mean."

"Have you done anything to piss anyone off." Ceoicung was now the one to cut in bluntly. You chanced a glance up to him, and upon finding his narrowed eyes boring down onto your face, you decided to stick with looking at your bandages. Hmm, yes, this bandage was so interesting to you.

Your mind reeled back to yesterday, then the day before, and then jumping to the week before that, your brain filling with images of merging memories of anything you could think of, before you stilled.

There was something.

"...I think so."

The brothers raised a brow to you, leaning in slightly to catch onto every word you were going to say.

"I run a small bakery, and that day about a week ago, I hadn't gotten much sleep, so I was out of it for most of the day.." the more you spoke, the more that sickening feeling in the pit of your stomach seemed to grow. How had you not noticed it before?

"I kept making a few slip ups here and there while I was working; I just couldn't seem to concentrate very well. But luckily, a lot of the customers that came in were regulars, so they didn't really say anything. Until, this one customer.." You struggled to remember his face for a moment, the first thing you remembered about him though was that he was tall, almost tall enough to brush his head against the short ceiling in your shop.

"He ordered something, and I must've messed up the order, since he suddenly started yelling at me once he opened the box. I was so tired, though, so I wasn't really paying attention.. I don't remember much of what he was saying, and he just got angrier.."

You remembered him slamming his fist down hard onto the counter top, the way the change in the cash register clattered loudly in its metal box ringing in your ears.

"All I remember him saying is... I-Is.." your throat closed up again, and the urge to bury your face into your hands was strong. Squeezing your eyes shut, you recalled what he looked like, now. His features were all to familiar. Especially that same, dark, twisted smile he had sent your way before he made his way out of the shop, muttering the words that had allowed you to get caught up in this mad, crazed world.

'Looks like I found myself the perfect ragdoll to play with.'