Dark Tides

Chapter 9

(a/n) The violence in this chapter is a bit more descriptive, just felt like I needed to say something before you get into it.

The heaving gasps of the man are loud. It's annoying Kylo. The intruder is hung from both his hands, head hanging down, arms spread wide. Kylo twirls the dagger around in his right hand again, mind wandering from the current moment.

He grits his teeth as he goes over this morning for the hundredth time in his head. You had been cold. Quiet. Sitting opposite him for breakfast and not casting your usual glances in his direction. His eyes on you had been left lonely for the entirety of the morning. His glances were not returned. Your attention was not on him for a single second. Uneasiness has settled itself in his stomach. Kylo hates it.

"I'll ask again, who sent you." Kylo's voice is impatient, the words snapping out of his mouth.

The man's head hangs limply, hair hanging down over his eyes. The bloodstain on his clothing from the wound in his stomach has continued spreading, not getting a chance to close with Kylo's repeated punches to his side. He groans weakly. Blood dripping onto the floor from his lips.

Kylo steps closer, disgust in his eyes, anger still fresh. "Who sent you." He grips the man's hair in his right fist and wrenches his head up. He hasn't bothered asking him for his name. It doesn't matter. He just needs to find out what he was doing sneaking around.

Despite being almost unconscious, the man is staring right back, fear apparent in his eyes.

When the man doesn't make any attempt to talk, Kylo lands another punch to his ribs with his left fist, forcing a choked breath out of the man.

"I swear I wasn't-" He doesn't finish his sentence before coughing violently. Kylo steps back, avoiding the blood that sprays out of the man's mouth.

The knights discovered a dagger in his belt when they dragged him down here. Kylo knows he's lying. Another deplorable excuse leaves the man's mouth. "Please, I wasn't going to hurt anyone- he just-"

Kylo's interest peaks. It's the first words the man has said besides pathetic pleas. "He?" As Kylo begins to slowly walk in a circle around the man, he says, "If you give me a name, I will escort you off this ship myself."

Kylo's getting tired of punching the man with no results. If he offers an escape, the man might believe him and confess. He comes to the front of the hanging man again, crossing his arms.

"A sailor's promise," he says, a smile threatening to form on his face when the man scoffs.

The man lifts his head on his own the time, hands weakly pulling at the chains. "You're no sailor," he snaps.

"Ah, that's right," says Kylo, a wicked smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Forgot."

The man grimaces, looking down at his stomach. He's close to bleeding out. Weak and faint. An offer of safety sounding better with each passing second. "It's your only option and you'd do best to cooperate-" Kylo is interrupted by a shout.

It causes both men's heads to turn towards the heavy wooden door. A bang on the wood of the passageway, and Kylo is stepping forward, ready to investigate.

The door suddenly swings open, hitting the wall with a clang. You're standing there, eyes flashing around at the scene before you. Vicrul appears a second later, out of breath, failed at stopping you from heading to the brig.

You take in the sight of Kylo calmly looking at you, his stance not changing. The man you recognize from last night is hanging from the ceiling of the small room. It's damp and cold down here. You regret coming down here to find Kylo.