𝕎𝔸𝕐 𝔹𝔸ℂ𝕂 ℍ𝕆𝕄𝔼 ||𝐃𝐔𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋||

Chapter - 32

Alone in the cold, darkened corner, Yeon-hwa felt time unravel at a cruel pace. The damp air clung to her, a reminder of the claustrophobic prison that held her captive with the psychotic prisoners.

Every passing second echoed with the weight of the ultimatum given by the psycho prisoner. Ten minutes, a mere fraction of time, yet it stretched endlessly in the vacuum of her fear. The dim light cast eerie shadows on the walls, distorting reality into a nightmare that mirrored the torment within her.

Yeon-hwa's body, already battered and bruised, felt like an anchor dragging her into a sea of despair. The pain from the recent assault throbbed, a visceral reminder of the cruelty she endured. Her hands trembled as she instinctively touched the tender areas of her face, the touch confirming the reality of the nightmare.

The bitter taste of fear lingered in her mouth as she replayed the events that led to this dire moment. The psycho prisoner's sadistic game had stripped away not only her physical strength but also her sense of agency. The violation she endured left scars that ran deeper than the visible bruises.

Yeon-hwa's thoughts raced in desperate circles. She wrestled with guilt, questioning whether her actions had led her friends into a trap. The choice she made to help the sick man in the cell, the decision that now threatened to unravel the fragile fabric of their survival, haunted her.

"Gosh," the short prisoner walked over to the psycho prisoner, "Hey, What if they just ran off? Maybe we're doomed for being all laid back."

"Whether it's war or anything, something definitely happened outside," The grey-haired prisoner spoke up, fooling around with Yeon-hwa's rifle. "If that's the case, going outside unprepared could be more dangerous."

"Hey, is it really true that the spheres or whatever fell from the sky and caused a disaster outside?" The long-haired prisoner walked over to Yeon-hwa, "Be honest with me. Tell me. Where did you come from?"

Yeon-hwa remained silent, her gaze fixed on a distant point as if trying to detach herself from the cruel reality unfolding around her. The prisoners' voices, a discordant symphony of curiosity and malice, seemed distant, a mere echo in the vast emptiness of her despair.

The long-haired prisoner, impatient and agitated, grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "Say something, you bitch!"

Yeon-hwa winced at the rough handling but refused to succumb to their intimidation. The cold, defiant fire in her eyes communicated a silent refusal to be broken. She chose silence as her shield, a last vestige of control in the chaos.

The psycho prisoner, seemingly amused by Yeon-hwa's resolute, intervened. "Easy, easy. She's not going anywhere. Let her be."

The short prisoner, running a hand through his hair, looked at the psycho prisoner. "You should've cornered them even more instead of giving them 10 minutes."

"Yeah, they could've ran away, you know?" The long-haired prisoner said, "It's not that I don't trust you, though."

The psycho prisoner laughed, a sinister sound that reverberated through the confined space. "They will come back. Look at her. She's young, but she doesn't even beg or cry for mercy. She just told them to go. And think of how they all looked at her when she said that. She is very precious to them."

Yeon-hwa could feel all the eyes turning to her, the weight of their gazes pressing on her like a physical force. Yet, she held her ground, her eyes fixed on a distant point beyond the prison walls.

The psycho prisoner, his grin widening, enjoyed the spectacle of her defiance. "I like this one. A fighter. We'll break her, one way or another."

The short prisoner, his impatience palpable, kicked a nearby crate. "Damn it! I don't like this waiting. We should've just taken the girl and left the rest."