Hidden Secrets

Chapter 55

Yaten had meticulously bound Tellu to a rusty chair in his gloomy torture chamber, pacing thoughtfully in front of her. Tellu trembled uncontrollably, and Yaten could sense that the agonizing anticipation of his sinister intentions was pushing her to the edge of her nerves.

"So, we're all alone here. No matter how loud you scream, no one will hear you," Yaten began with a sinister smile. Tellu nervously eyed the extensive array of tools that lined the wall, resembling a threatening symphony of terror. Her lips were tightly pressed together, a thin line in her fear-stricken face.

"Alright, my dear, you have exactly two options," Yaten continued, menacingly approaching her. "Either you tell me directly what I want to know, and then I'll decide what to do with you. Or you choose to remain silent. In that case, I will thoroughly enjoy coaxing the information out of you. The choice is yours, but it's certain that you won't leave this place until I've heard everything I want to know."

He pulled a chair in front of her and sat down, leaning to his left. To heighten the tension, he folded and unfolded his knife a few times. To his surprise, the usually talkative green-haired Tellu seemed to have fallen silent. Fear was etched on her face, and her eyes were fixed on the large bone saw and numerous pliers hanging on the wall like a nightmare. Yaten wore a mischievous smile as he followed her gaze.

"Don't worry. We'll get to the tools eventually, and by then, you'll undoubtedly have other concerns, I promise you that. Now, let's begin. Where is Serena?" The first tears had already started to flow down Tellu's cheek. "I... I don't know," she stammered, distraught. Yaten scrutinized her intently. "Then tell me what you do know. What is the old Tsukino planning?"

The ominous atmosphere in Yaten's torture chamber thickened with each passing second. Tellu sobbed amidst her tears as Yaten increased the pressure of the cold knife blade on her forearm, a small trickle of blood forming, accompanied by a plaintive scream. Fear had a tight grip on her mind.

"I... I can't," Tellu stammered, and Yaten slightly increased the pressure of the knife. Desperation reflected in her eyes in the dimly lit room. "Wrong answer, my dear. You can, and you will. The only question is how long we'll be occupied here." Yaten rose again, his steps echoing threateningly in the space, as he slowly approached his poison cabinet. His finger carefully traced over the brown vials as he strategically considered which substance would serve him best now.

Tellu's agitated sobbing occasionally broke the oppressive silence, but Yaten remained unfazed. With absolute routine, he selected one of the vials before turning back to his tormented guest. A sly smile played on his lips as he examined the yellowish liquid.

"You see, my dear, there are many ways to extract information from a person. Now, decide how painful you want your journey to be. Where is Serena, and what is the old Tsukino planning?" Yaten repeated his question with an icy calm after a few moments.

Just as the tension in the gloomy dungeon seemed to reach its peak, an unexpected knock on the door interrupted the scene. One of Yaten's associates signaled that he was needed outside the door.

"I'll be right back for you," Yaten said more as a threat than anything else. Then he closed the door behind him, the dull sound of the lock reinforcing the oppressive atmosphere in the room. "What's so important?" he hissed to the blond man.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but there are some issues in the forest. Taiki just called, asking you to take care of it," the employee apologized for his intrusion.

Yaten didn't hide his annoyance. He cast a brief glance over his shoulder at the heavy metal door behind which Tellu was hidden, then an idea struck him. "Fine, I'm on my way. But you stay in there with her. She's so out of it; she won't give you much trouble. Start by having a nice chat with her. Maybe she'll tell you what she knows about Serena's whereabouts. Let's try this good cop, bad cop game until I get back." Yaten patted his companion on the shoulder and swiftly ascended the stairs with a few strides.