Days Are Numbered

23: Silence

The night unfolded with a coldness that mirrored Avgustin's stoic expression. Clad in his customary military attire, the young man stood before the assembled boys, announcing the impending storm and hail. The air seemed charged with an unspoken tension, revealing the depth of his displeasure. Noah, having experienced numerous encounters with Avgustin, could discern the storm brewing in the man's demeanor. The anticipation was enough to make him wish for unconsciousness.

Disciplinary gatherings were Noah's recurring nightmare, a relentless cycle where he often found himself at the mercy of Avgustin's judgment, whether at fault or not. Each step the disciplinarian took sent Noah's heart into erratic palpitations. He stood there, waiting to be crucified in the judgment of the military figure.

As Avgustin began to address the gathered boys, Noah braced himself for what lay ahead. In an attempt to maintain composure, he bit his inner cheeks, a silent act of self-discipline to keep his thoughts clear. Amidst the looming punishment, Noah came to the unsettling realization that judgment would inflict pain, leave scars, and undoubtedly leave behind lingering trauma.

"Some of you struggle to understand instructions, and I think I have to make it clearer in a different language," he started. Noah dug his fingers in his palm as hard as he could. When Avgustin spoke that way, it only meant one thing: he was indirectly referring to him.

"If you infiltrated my office for whatever reason, step out now."

Noah tensed as he waited for somebody to step out. The more he waited, the more the tension grew. He wanted to step out anyway, as Avgustin would call him out after all, but his legs refused to carry out his thoughts. Whatever it was, stepping out voluntarily or by force, it was still the same punishment, as harsh and severe.

Dhakirah glanced at Noah protectively. Noah was under his watch all day; he had a mouthful of points to defend him.

It didn't help the tension in Noah's chest, though.

Nobody stepped out; apparently, the culprits were cowards, and even the twins looked subdued. Noah prepared to step out when Avgustin paused.

"Evan and Ethan, step out," Avgustin called. It took Noah a few seconds to realize he wasn't called out; he almost sighed in relief.

"Tell me which one of you infiltrated my office, and your accomplices," Avgustin stated gently.

Noah tensed. What if they accused him, like Browne always does?

"Me, all by myself," Evan responded clearly, shading his brother.

"You should let people pay for their crime, Evan. You can ask Noah here, he will narrate his story, how we tamed him without his consent. A terrible child, worthless, stupid, and unscrupulous, what insolence, but I wiped it off one after the other, and there he stands. Look at him closely. You don't wanna be next." Avgustin's threat hung in the air.

"However, I'll have to explain in a different language; stupid people deserve special treatment. Right, Noah?"

Noah cringed, "Yes, sir," he managed to voice.

"Dismiss," Avgustin said while grabbing Evan's bicep. Dhakirah had to pull Ethan gently away.

Back in their respective beds, Noah desperately tried to block out the piercing sounds to no avail. The painful, throaty yelps of Evan reverberated through the silence, each impact of a hard object sending an audible shockwave of suffering. The source seemed invisible, the punishment inflicted with a cruel precision that echoed in the stillness. In the absence of visual cues, Noah's imagination conjured the silhouette of Avgustin, the architect of this torment.