Faulty Wings

Chapter 5

Up until now most of the chapter's have been mainly teen+ rating, however this is where the mature rating will now be in effect. As always, pls be mindful when reading the tags as I keep them up to date.

Warnings of torture, blood and injury

Zhou Zishu wakes up in a dark cell, his hands still bound behind him. He has now been stripped down to his white inner top and torn black pants, his hair still up in a messy half up half down hairstyle. When his eyesight begins to focus due to the lack of light, Prince Jin stands before him in the room.

The prince kneels down and looks at the state his former fiancé is in. "Zishu," he whispers, with a feathered touch he rubs his thumb over his bruised cheekbone in a gentle, almost caring manner. For a moment, his once cold eyes have gone softer.

"You know, all of this could have been avoided, Zishu," He says with a sigh. "If you had just done what you were told — and not have fallen for that abominable spawn of a man - we could have led side by side together. Created the strongest kingdom in the world. It can still happen, if you choose to stand beside me."

Zhou Zishu steels his nerves and gaze, and spits a mouthful of blood onto the ruler's face.

Prince Jin steps back with an outcry of rage and mortification, wiping the blood and sour from his eyes in a hasty motion. His eyes are blazing with fury, unable to find words venomous enough that could express the anger coursing through his veins. In the end, he finally scoffs and turns back towards the iron door.

As he exits the cell, a figure waits outside in the shadows, although Zhou Zishu is unable to see who stands in front of Prince Jin.

"I don't care what you have to do. Break him," are his only words as he storms past, finally allowing him to get a better look.

With a look of determination and a satisfied smile, Dian Pengju steps inside.

Zhou Zishu can feel his body tense in surprise at the sight of Prince Jin's right-hand man. But it was also not a secret that if the Prince needed information or someone to hurt, his...methods were very successful. Zhou Zishu had assumed that Duan Pengju had perished in the fight that had taken his comrade, Han Ying, but he was mistaken. Duan Pengju was always jealous of how much time and attention he managed to steal from Prince Jin, and it probably fuelled his emotions of both envy and resentment.

But now a golden and rare opportunity has fallen into his lap. The former prince with little strength left, bloodied and bruised.

Zhou Zishu continues to remain still as Duan Pengju observes the cornered beast, face bruised, lips bloody, clothes torn and hair undone.

The man watches him like a predator, a smirk present on his lips. When he finally moves, it is to pace lazily around the perimeter of the small room. It takes most of Zhou Zishu's willpower not to flinch when he takes his first step, steeling himself to appear calm.

Duan Pengju can't help but let out a little laugh at the sight of his reduced state, continuing to circle, pacing, anything to let Zhou Zishu's body betray him with anticipation and fear of what is to come next. However, what he seems to have forgotten is that Zhou Zishu is not the usual victim. Due to being a former commander and prince, his mind is always racing, working, assessing for any variable or advantage he can use. Continuing to look for a solution out of here, even if it is ever so unanticipated.

Since no one had spoken till now, Zhou Zishu thought he should make the first move. "I have to ask, do you remember Wen Kexing? What did you think of him when you saw him in Zhao Jing's castle?"

It is his turn to take Duan Pengju off guard. He furrows his eyebrows, trying to see the angle he is playing at.

"Did you think he was powerful? Violent? Maleficent?"

No response came, but he knew that he had grabbed his attention now.

"I wonder, Pengju," he says, tilting his head with fake innocence. "I wonder what he will do to you, when he finds out what is about to take place here. His known preference is breaking a person's bones one by one, but...I know my Lao Wen. He would never allow you to get off that easily."

For a moment, Pengju stood in shock, his words starting to slowly seep and register in his mind until he recovered, like a shadow that had just walked over his grave. Swift and gone.

"It seems that no one informed you. When Kexing didn't resurface from the river. He's dead and thank the heavens. So...no one is coming for you. No matter how loud you scream."

The words are like stones in Zhou Zishu's heart and suddenly it is all too loud in his ears. He feels his body disconnecting from his mind. Duan Pengju went on and on about how even though he wasn't allowed to kill him, they didn't specify in which state. But he didn't acknowledge a word. The grief is like a tidal wave that slammed into his body over and over. A small part of him knew that he couldn't have survived that fall, and no normal bullet wounds could have injured him that way, so it had to have been an iron one. But on the other hand, he refused to give up hope that his zhiji was dead just like that. He knew Wen Kexing was stronger than that.

However, his train of thoughts quickly turned somewhere else when Duan Pengju's words started to register. His back is turned from Zhou Zishu, fiddling with something that he could not see.

When he turns around he is holding a lit candle, the wax slowly starting to melt.

"You know...I haven't ever tried this method out yet...How do you feel about having your skin burned, Zhou Zishu?"

He said nothing.

"You know, I admire your will to live. I mean, especially after I just told you the news of your beloved. It is almost making me emotional...almost."

And then, he lets the first drop of white wax onto his exposed skin, right where his exposed collarbone is.

With his skin now starting to burn and sizzle, Zhou Zishu fights hard not to make a sound or shift away from Duan Pengju. This is nothing compared to the pain that he just felt, that is what he keeps repeating to himself like a mantra.

After repeating the movements of wax all over his upper body and back, Zhou Zishu's body feels like it is on fire and his body has started to tremble. His pale skin is now becoming pinker and pinker. Every time he inhales, his ribs protest with the movement and he knows he has for sure either broken or badly bruised them. When the wax drips down his side it takes everything in him not to scream out.

The former prince is so tired, his whole body burns, his heart aches while in the midst of grief. He doesn't know how long they have been at this, hours, maybe even days.

"Shall we continue this dance? Duan-shouling?" Zhou Zishu realizes that Wen Kexing is rubbing off on him, he can't seem to escape his dripping sarcasm.

Duan Pengju knows the title is said mockingly, and heck he is starting to look a bit agitated at the fact that he hasn't even started to break his prisoner. His forehead is sweating and his eyes look hard with unspoken rage. His actions show as he sets down his candles and storms out of the cell but before leaving he hisses, "Zhou Zishu, you will break. And I can't wait to be the person that does it."

Zhou Zishu doesn't remember much after Duan Pengju leaves, all he knows is that he eventually passes out due to the pain. Zhou Zishu would not remember until hours later why he couldn't feel Wen Kexing's hairpin in his hair, and silently sobs at the painful reminder that both his zhiji, and the object he held most dear - is gone. But, in the small iron-barred window of his cell, he saw a raven cawing in sadness that vibrated into his soul.

I just couldn't resist adding in the word maleficient hehe.

This is my first time writing a torture scene so I hope it was ok.

Poor Zhou Zishu, he thinks his zhiji is dead but still holds onto hope. Hopefully he can last until he is reunited with his beloved Ah-Xing.