Court of Nightmares.

O4.

"Fifty o-one!"

Another smack echoed. I couldn't keep my body straightened anymore, the pain was unbearable. I felt the stinging becoming more and more strong, reaching my back all the way up to my neck. This was hell.

My head was bowed down. I waited in horror for the next hit. The leather had surely left marks all over my skin, it'd also probably leave damn scars. I kept clenching my jaw and gritting my teeth, loud howls of pain left my lips. I couldn't contain it.

I was sweating, my hair was glued to my forehead, my eyes red from the tears but I kept my balance despite of it all.

"Fifty two!" I shouted in agony as another smack echoed in the darkness. My eyes were closed shut tightly, however, that didn't mean I had no clue how Vante looked behind me, whipping me and causing me to suffer over and over again. I had honestly lost track of time. And just for a moment I dared to think that perhaps in Hell was better. I wouldn't go through so much pain as I do right now. Surely, I had sins to pay for but I doubted it'd be such an agony as right now, in this exact moment.

"How foolish of you to think that you can attack me and not get away with it, rabbit." I heard his muffled voice behind me, he was breathless for some reason. I yelled as another smack echoed, drool dripping down the corners of my lips.

"Count!" he shouted angrily and my head hanged down, I was exhausted.

"F-fifty three..." I whispered, another smack echoed causing the chains around my wrists which were digging painfully in my skin to rustle loudly.

"Louder!" Vante commanded and I groaned.

"F-fifty three!" I shouted. I could hear that bastard smirk behind me. And it wasn't only his gaze I could feel on me, there were other people in the room, watching me, mocking me, believing that I'd be dead by the end of this. They had probably seen so many men in my place getting whipped as they probably beg for mercy.

But not me. I'd never beg for mercy.

If the whipping doesn't kill me, it'd surely be the pain that spreads all over my body. My arms were spread apart, aching from being held high above my head for so damn long. I thought that I was gonna go insane at some point.

This brute of a man took his time in watching me suffer from the pain. His footsteps grew closer and I felt him grip the back of my head and lift it up. I could barely see his face, my eyes half closed, swollen from the tears.

I could feel his face close to mine. I smelled his perfume even. This motherfucker. The more he whipped me, the more hatred was created within my heart.

"Look at you. All wrecked. And all because of me." he mumbled. I held my jaw closed shut to the point it hurt me too. But what didn't hurt me at this point? My body was completely destroyed.

"Go to hell." I managed to muster out. I heard his laughter. It was loud, obnoxious yet powerful and scary. He let go of my head that bowed back down and returned back to his place, because I felt another harder whip that made me flinch and yell in pain. I was weak.

After the sixtieth whip Vante finally stopped. I was half-conscious to hear what he was saying. By the tone of his voice I understood that he gave a command to someone and soon enough I heard a few pairs of footsteps approach me. The chains were removed from around my wrists and my arms slumped down as if they were broken. I had no power to resist anything.

"Take him back to Jin. Surely the rabbit has learned his lesson not to disobey me nor try to take me down. " I heard the last words Vante said before everything went black yet again.





"Is he out of his fucking mind!" I heard a low voice whisper and then a rustle, a soft huff then footsteps pacing quickly.

"You know how Vante gets when someone is being full mouth on him-- this man tried to attack him!" another gruff voice echoed in my head. It was strange, because all I could see was darkness.

"For god's sake. This man has been already a second time here. A second, August. No one has returned two times in here, all men he took obeyed quickly. It's clear that he doesn't want this at all! And why the fuck did you took him to that damn warehouse? It wasn't his place there!"

I heard a snarl. It was probably August's.

"We had to teach him a lesson, yeah? We do this with all of the men who are either taken as a ransom or in rabbit's case--- being sold like a prostitute. "

I tried to ball my hands in fists but that didn't work as well.

"I am beginning to doubt Vante's sanity at this point..."

I could now slowly muster out Jin's voice. His tone seemed anxious, he was worried for some reason. I couldn't move my body however, it was as if I was paralyzed entirely. All I could do was listen right now.

"Oh please, he'll break soon enough. Remember Jimin?"

There was a silence in the room.

Who was Jimin?

I heard a sigh and a click of a pen. Someone scribbled something down.

"Take this, those are medications for you to buy. He needs to recover as soon as possible."

A low grumble.

"Why do I gotta do this shitty job? Don't you have an assistant or something--?" August grunted.

"Well, someone murdered my last assistant, so I wouldn't risk it."

"Goddamit, Jin. It was just once, this dude tried to steal your Xanax. I had to act on impulse!"

There was another silence.

"Fucking shit." I heard August curse then a pair of quick footsteps and a loud slam of the door. I managed to open my eyes, however, my vision was blurry for a few seconds before becoming clear.

"I see you are already awake. That was rather quick." I heard Jin's voice. I tried to move but I couldn't, each muscle hurt.

"I wouldn't move if I were you. You need to lay in this position for a few days until the medicine takes over. It'll relax you soon enough. "

I parted my mouth.

"Where is he..."

The man knew about whom I was talking about. He sat on the chair by my bed, clicking his pen a few times. He cleared his throat, readjusting his glasses.

"He is out of town for two weeks or so, enough time for you to recover and get your shit together. You have to surrender, rabbit. Or else your loved ones will die, not only your life is at stake. "

I swallowed thickly, there was a limp in my throat I could not swallow unfortunately.

"I never wanted this.." I muttered out weakly. "It's my sister's fault."

"You think men in here wanted this too? No one did. I was a promising doctor in my city. Then . . . my younger brother got really sick and I had no money as our parents died when we were just kids.." he trailed off deep lost in thoughts.

"And you asked Vante to lend you some--- and this is how you stayed here working for him?"

Jin nodded his head.

"He helped me through a lot, I am thankful for what he has done to me."

"From what I've observed, it seems as if you are still forced to pay your debt..." I croaked out. The doctor seemingly shifted in his seat.

"Let's not talk much right now, you gotta sleep some more, I'll be back in a bit to check up on you."

I couldn't really find the power to talk to him anymore. I was starting to relax slowly, possibly because of the medicine that has been injected in my body. My eyelids grew heavy again and for the first time in days I managed to relax as my mind became blank.

"Oh, look, the rabbit is awake. How nice." I heard August's voice echo in the room and I rolled my eyes, not wanting to bicker with anyone today for that matter. It had been about five days since I was brought here. There was still a certain pain in my back but it was less intense and I was able to get on my back at this point. I was leaning against one of the pillows , a book in hand. I didn't spare him a glance.

"Can you leave me alone?" I asked grumpily, flipping my book to the next page. I heard his footsteps approach and soon he leaned a bit as I was forced to look back up. I could see the darkness within his eyes up close. I noticed that he had a scar near his cheek.

I had forgotten for a moment that I do not talk to a human being, but to a beast. I visibly tensed and he sensed that. August smirked and quirked an eyebrow.

"I could rip your mouth and leave a creepy smile lingering. Would you like that?" he asked as I swallowed thickly. I would shake my head, looking away immediately. Somehow the closeness made me uncomfortable.

August hummed and slowly pulled away, flopping on the chair by the bed.

"Where is Jin?"

"In town, dealing with some medicine shit. He told me to watch over you until he comes back."

I snorted. "More like murdering me the first chance you have."

"I thought you were not afraid to die?"

"I am not." I glared back at him, "but my girlfriend is gonna suffer because of me." Until I made sure that Eung Hee was safe, I wasn't planning on dying anytime soon. August ruffled his blonde locks of hair, the fingers covering his fingers only made me think of how much money he had. He was Vante's right hand after all.

"Can't believe I am babysitting you. Tch." He leaned back, legs crossed, eyes on me.

"You can go. I don't need a babysitter."

"Not possible, rabbit. Who are you to command me, huh?" he was playful at one minute, then at the next he was dead serious and I had a crippling fear, this man was insane. I could sense it, see it in his eyes and hear it by the way he spoke.

"Why do you call me rabbit?"

"Because when you are scared shitless you look just like a rabbit." he smiled bitterly, flicking his silver lighter between his slim bony fingers. I noticed he wore suit. All of them in the mansion did, except Jin and probably the maids.

I didn't know what else to say, instead, I focused on my book or at least tried to focus on the letters over the piece of paper I held in my arms. After this brief conversation if you could call it one-- no other exchanges were made, he was mainly on his phone, texting someone quite fast for that matter. It was then that he cursed loudly and I glanced at him and saw his expression change from calm to angry one in seconds. For some reason he was glaring at his phone. Someone was about to get fucked up, I thought.

August rose up and sparing me a glance left the room.

Thank god. I was able to take a gulp of fresh air without suffocating in his presence. Soon the door opened and I expected to see Jin but it was that girl without the tongue. The mute one.

She slowly approached my bed and I scooted away, not knowing what she wanted.

"W-what are you doing here?" I asked in a stutter. She tried to sign with her hands but she probably realized that I couldn't read nor make any sign language, so instead, she pulled out a pen and a small notebook from her pocket and scribbled down something. Looking behind her as if to make sure that no one was there, she gave the notebook with trembling hands.

My eyes immediately focused on what she had written down.

"I'll help you escape. this place."