checkmate ; xdinary heroes

23.

❝oh look who woke up.❞ 

the moment gunil opened his eyes, the face of an old man dressed in a suit was what he saw. he wanted to throw up, just seeing his face made him want to do so, let alone hearing his voice.  

trying to move, gunil looked around noticing that his hands and legs were tied back to a chair on which he was sitting. surprisingly, his mouth wasn't covered nor were his eyes blindfolded so he could see everything and if anything, could speak back too. 

the man approached him with a dirty smirk displaying on his lips. ❝you and your psycho friends tried to steal my money.❞ he stated. as if, gunil didn't know what he and his friends were doing. but he would like to correct something. they didn't try stealing his money, they did steal it. at least some amount. and speaking of his friends, he saw them all running away, he told them to do so. he hoped they were safe now. 

❝where are they?❞ he couldn't help but ask. he felt stupid, knowing the man wouldn't answer him. but the words left his lips before he himself could realize it.  

grabbing fistful of gunil's hair, the man made him look up at him. ❝i don't know. maybe safe, maybe not.❞ he chuckled tightening his grip on the boy's hair. ❝your eyes are so empty.❞ he started talking more like he was talking to himself. ❝what is it? oh right.❞ removing his hand harshly, he smiled, shoving his hands inside his pockets. ❝emotional numbness. am i right?❞ 

not waiting for gunil to say a word, the man walked away slowly, pacing around the room with his hands shoved inside his pockets, talking out loud so that gunil would also hear. 

❝what did a poor kid have to go through, to become like this?❞ he scoffed glancing at gunil who watched him with emotionless eyes. ❝you can't feel anything now, right? no sadness, no sorrow, no anger. yet, i guess there is something about those friends of yours.❞ the man stopped abruptly, pulling a chair that was placed not far from him and sat on it, facing the tied up boy. ❝tell me, what do you feel when you are with them or when you talk to them or think about them.❞ he then rested his chin on his palm and tilting his head slightly to the side, waited for gunil to answer. as if he was really curious and wanted to hear everything gunil would have to say. 

that was for him to get a better idea, as to what to do with this boy right there, who he had caught. sure, he was the only one and there were five others out there, but even one was good for him. he could think of something, that would make the others fear him and never come close to him. not even thinking about robbing his huge mansion ever again. 

however, his plan was not going the way he wanted to, as gunil kept being silent. he just stared at the wall in front of him with empty eyes and didn't even move. 

tapping his chin, ❝i won't hurt your friends.❞ the man flashed gunil a small smile which the boy found disgusting. oh, the male himself knew, he was not going to keep that small promise of his. better say, he didn't know, if he would or not. it depended on gunil and what he would say. ❝how much did you steal?❞ he asked still sugarcoating his voice, trying to reach to the boy like that and somehow get him talk to him. 

gunil stayed silent, he didn't understand why would the man think that he would talk. he knew too well, there was a very little chance of him to get out of this place alive. he warned his friends not to come here and save him, they should not be coming. 

he didn't mind. as long as the others were okay and safe, he would be fine. nothing bad could happen to him.