Inferno Hearts | Xu Minghao

19. A trail of joy

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𝓢𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓷 - 𝓐𝓷𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓮

↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

Among the mix of feelings that overwhelmed Nabi, one emotion took the lead: fear. She stared at the man in front of her, his cigarette glowing ominously.

The cause? Nabi had tried to defend herself against a group of drunk men who were trying to assault her, accidentally disrupting a shady deal between those men and him.

At just 13 years old, Nabi had already endured an immense amount of pain.

Her young age prevented her from fully comprehending the cruel actions of these monsters who repeatedly targeted her, particularly his acts of cruelty.

The man advanced, holding a cigarette that emitted a flickering light. Nabi sat on the floor before him, her vulnerability evident.

With a sinister grin, he taunted, "Well, let's figure out where to begin, shall we? Since I'm feeling so generous, I'll let you decide which part of your body gets to meet my cigarette."

As Nabi's tears streamed down her face, his demonic expression remained unchanged, a chilling contrast to her distress.

Kneeling in front of her, he reached out and touched Nabi's trembling legs. "What about these legs?" he mused with a mocking tone. "They tried to sabotage my little deal by running away, didn't they?"

In an instant, the lit cigarette came into contact with Nabi's thigh, causing her to let out a piercing scream of pain.

She woke up screaming, her body drenched in sweat, her breath coming in rapid bursts.

Minghao, who had witnessed every flicker of anguish on her face, recognized immediately that she was trapped in a nightmare.

Reacting swiftly, he attempted to rouse her from the distressing dream, leading to their current moment.

She was still catching her breath, her forehead pressed against the pillow, struggling to regain her composure.

Minghao stood by, his surprise evident as he grappled with uncertainty, unsure of how to offer comfort.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked gently after a few seconds, concern lacing his voice. "Do you want me to get you a pill?" he continued, offering his assistance.

Nabi nodded her head in response, her breathing gradually steadying as she tried to regain her equilibrium.

"Please," she managed to reply, her voice shaky. "The same blue box from yesterday."

Minghao nodded in understanding, a sense of relief washing over him that she was responsive.

He swiftly retrieved the blue box of pills, his movements efficient as he prepared to offer her the relief she searched.

Nabi took the pill from Minghao's hand, her fingers trembling slightly.

After swallowing it, she shifted to lean against the wall that connected to her bed, seeking its support.

She closed her eyes for a few moments, her breathing gradually steadying as the medication began to take effect, while Minghao's gaze remained on her.

As the haze of the nightmare gradually lifted, Nabi returned to the harsh reality of her body's pain.