CELESTIAL FLOWERS ( s. gojo )

arc ii ━ chapter i. agony

a r c  ii.
❝ is this the price of your loyalty? is this the price of your love? ❞
━━ chapter i. agony

trigger warning: torture and graphic depiction of violence

KAZUKO WAKES IN PAIN. Aches blossoming in multiple parts of her body. She doesn't remember how many days have passed since they dragged her into the room and tied her hands and legs. Doesn't remember the last time she felt a sliver of sunlight on her skin. Doesn't remember how many minutes hour days and weeks it's been since she saw the grey sky up above.

It's dark and only the light of a small lantern in the corner illuminated the place. From what the meager light could offer, she could see a bare room: only a pillow, a blanket and door that she can't hope to reach lest she risks the curses they've placed upon it.

Kazuko wonders when she's going to die. When all of this pain and torture would stop. Erisu is safe. She's probably back in the comforts of the Nakano estate, eating breakfast lunch or dinner, reading poetry and watching the sky. (That vicious thought lingers, materializes into fingers that prod at her skin, into lips that whisper into her ears, how dare she live while you suffer? After all the love you've given her? After all the loyalty you promised?) Kazuko tries to push it all away, but sometimes she's so weak to even muster the energy to block the thoughts away.

It's been what— a week? a month?— since the cult captured her and her will to live has slowly, but surely diminished.

During the earlier days, she was still brimming with anger, remembering the sound of Erisu's screams and the blood that drip drip dripped onto the snow.

But then the veiled ones came. With sheer black cloths masking some of their features. There was also an identifiable mark on the top of her shaved heads, a five-pointed star drawn on their bare scalps with what seemed to be a snake wrapped around it. Five of them approached and they gathered around her in a perfect circle. She shot them the most ferocious glare she could muster, but all the bravado began to disappear, bit by bit like the slices of the blade they cast upon her skin.

Metallic knives with handles made of carved wood, etched with patterns she couldn't observe with more time for she turned away as the blade descended onto her skin, pushing, deeper and deeper until the surface broke and released blood. Her blood. Heavy and warm and gushing out of her skin in rivulets. Kazuko winced. But it did not deter them. They moved, knives in hand, blades so sharp it was as if there was no resistance as they sliced clean lines into her skin. And cut.

Her palms. One. Two. Her wrists. Three. Four. Her shoulders. Five. Six. Her stomach. Seven. Eight. Her thighs. Nine. Ten.

They cut, drew blood from her skin and soon there were transparent vials filled with crimson liquid. Kazuko tried to wriggle when they began putting the bandages, but the loss of blood made her weak. She's glad that they didn't slice across her face, fearing that they would come upon the realization that she wasn't who they thought she was.

And they came again on the next day. Next to the spots where the previous slices hadn't healed yet. Still as quiet as corpses, their bodies betraying nothing. These people were insane, Kazuko surmised. What the hell were they doing with her blood? And why Erisu's blood? Did they really think that Erisu's blood would give them glory? And what now that it was Kazuko's blood? What would they achieve?

Nothing!

Their endeavors were pointless. They hurt her and Erisu for these pointless, meaningless quests for glory. It made her angry, it made her feel wrath. But that didn't mean anything to them.

They cut as they were supposed to.

Her palms. One. Two. Her wrists. Three. Four. Her shoulders. Five. Six. Her stomach. Seven. Eight. Her thighs. Nine. Ten.